Stairway to Health Pilot Sites

• BC Ministry of Health Services - Victoria, BC

• University of Ottawa Heart Institute - Ottawa, Ontario

• Saint John City Hall - City of Saint John, New Brunswick

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BC Ministry of Health Services- Victoria, BC

Description

The BC Ministry of Health Services is comprised of two buildings, the main building has 7 floors, plus the basement and the Pandora Wing, has 6 floors plus the basement, serviced by a bank of four elevators, an internal stairwell and three stairwells that serve as fire exits. There is also an open stairway from the main entrance to the second floor where the cafeteria is located. The internal stairwell across from the bank of elevators is the stairway designated for the Stairway to Health project. The population consists of 1104 government office workers with sedentary positions, primarily female (792 females, 312 male) and most over 35 years of age. The project coordinators are Lorna Storbakken, Director and Lori Zehr, Physical Activity Manager, Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch. The Project Design and Evaluation is being coordinated by PJ Naylor, PhD, University of Victoria School of Physical Education.

Purpose

The purpose of the Stairway to Health Pilot Project is twofold:

1. To implement and evaluate the impact of a set of evidence-based stairway-based interventions in the Ministry of Health Services.
2. To describe program implementation (barriers, facilitators, costs) to allow for program modifications (course correction) and dissemination to other workplaces.

Interventions

The key interventions that will be used in this project are:

Stairwell Beautification (changes to the physical environments of the stairs): The paint in the central stairwell will be renewed and attractive colours will be added on the stairwell landings. In addition artwork and white boards (for motivational messages and staff interaction) will be mounted on alternative landings and a permanent directional sign mounted on the ceiling over the entrance.

Point - of - Choice Posters: The Ministry of Health contracted Prevention Source BC to design a set of posters using text content from the posters available on the Stairway to Health Website. In addition, a Ministry specific message and poster was designed to address the 'no food or drink' policy in the Stairwell. The six posters and the Health Canada Stairway to Health Poster were mounted so they could stand on an easel.

Challenges / Events

1. Stair-climbing Challenge - Photos of the CN Tower have been superimposed with a series of stages on them and then laminated. These posters will be used for each Branch/Team in the Ministry to track their flights and climb the Tower. Prizes will be distributed for Best Team Name, most flights climbed and best participation rates. The Stair-climbing challenge will be held in November 2004.
2. Artwork Challenge - This is a one day event to introduce people to the stairways and the beautification efforts. The employees will be asked to go into the stairwells and vote for their favourite art work and suggest a name for each floor's artwork (e.g. Tuscany on Two). Incentives will be handed out randomly by the Stairway to Health Coordinator to individuals who are using the stairs on that day. Prizes will be distributed for the best floor names.

• Communication Interventions - Canada's Physical Activity Guide will be placed in the lunch room on each floor of the building. An article on the benefits of Stair-climbing will be written for the Fall Health eNEWS and copies will also be posted in the lunch room. Each of the events described will be announced to all staff via email. The Stairway to Health webpage has a page on physical activity and a link to the Health Canada Stairway to Health website so that any employees can register to climb a tower or calculate their caloric expenditure.

Data will be collected using photoelectric counters, surveys and questionnaires for each intervention, including:

• Ministry of Occupational Health and Safety Organizational Health Survey: Satisfaction with environmental supports
• Employee Health Behaviour Survey
• HeartCheck B validated questionnaire on environmental supports in the workplace (Pre/post)

Preliminary Data

Healthy Workplace Week
(for more information go to www.healthyworkplaceweek.ca)

The following events are planned for Healthy Workplace Week (October 25-31, 2004):

1. Lunch time lecture series: Living Stress Free; Healthy Eating; Getting Active and Sticking With it; Work - Life Balance; Ergonomics / or Healthy Workplace environments (what can you do in your office)
2. Tai Chi on Tuesday
3. Wheeling / Walking Wednesday
4. Fruit on Friday
5. Family Event

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University of Ottawa Heart Institute - Ottawa, Ontario

Description

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute has 5 storeys, plus a basement level. The population consists of approximately 750 clinical, research, administrative and housekeeping staff. In addition, many visitors enter the building every day, and use either the stairs or elevator. The project coordinator is Dr. Andrew Pipe, Director of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute's Prevention and Rehabilitation Centre.

Purpose/Interventions

The purpose of this study is to study the effectiveness of interventions to encourage stair use, for both staff and visitors, with the following interventions planned:

• Point of choice posters.
• A large, colourful display in the Heart Institute lobby during Healthy Workplace Week. This display will target staff and visitors, and will highlight the many benefits of stair climbing.
• Improvement to the physical environment of the main stairwell: painting and new flooring.
• Improved directions for visitors i.e. consistently presenting the option of taking the stairs or elevators, with clear directions to the destination for whichever option is chosen.

Data will be collected by direct observation. Data will always be collected on Wednesday, as this is a typical work day, with clinics, diagnostic testing, and rehabilitation classes running. The data collected will include:

• Stairway use pre and post interventions
• Elevator use pre and post interventions
• Gender
• Staff or Visitor

When counting people using the elevator only adults (not children) will be counted and the following will be excluded:

• People carrying anything larger than a briefcase or regular-sized backpack.
• People pushing or pulling anything (bicycles, strollers, cleaning buckets on wheels, etc.)
• People in wheelchairs, on stretchers, using walkers or canes, and anyone accompanying these people.

The data will be analyzed and communicated for each intervention as a percentage of the following groups using the stairs and elevators: female staff, female visitors, male staff, and male visitors.

Preliminary Data 

Healthy  Workplace Event Activity
(for more information go to www.nqi.ca/chww  )

For Healthy  Workplace week (October 25-31, 2004), a large, colourful display will be developed and set-up in the Heart Institute lobby. This display will target staff and visitors, and will highlight the many benefits of stair climbing.

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Saint John City Hall- City of Saint John, New Brunswick

Description

The Saint John City Hall is a 15 story building with most activities on the 7 th to 12 th floors. The building is populated by municipal employees and some associated organizations (Commissions etc). There is also some citizen traffic in the building. The project co-ordinators are Daryl Steeves of the Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation (AHSC) and Amy Schnare of the City of Saint John.

Purpose

The purpose of the project is to measure the effects of interventions on the stair traffic in City Hall in the City of Saint John, with further phases examining the impact of regular stair use on chronic disease risk factors.

Interventions

The project will involve 3 waves of interventions, building on one another over a 6 month period:

1. Introduction of point of choice prompts and interoffice communication to highlight the benefits of stair use and to encourage all staff to use the stairs. This will be unfocused promotion to all staff
2. Blitz week and special promotions during Healthy Workplace Week including personal challenges, random "stair" prizes etc.
3. Focused marketing to individuals to form and join teams and complete specific climbing challenges in a friendly competition.

The compounding effects of each intervention will be monitored following implementation. This will involve monitoring of stair usage and the application of a questionnaire to staff at the end of the project. This will assist in determining the perception of the general staff population concerning the value of stair climbing, the success of the project and the employer's involvement in promoting the use of stairs.

Healthy Workplace Week Event
(for more information go to www.nqi.ca/chww  )

The following events are planned for Healthy Workplace Week (October 25-31, 2004):

1. Personal challenges: Complete the 100 floor challenge and your name will be entered in a prize draw.
2. Walk the stairs with Common Council: City Council members and local media will be invited to join the staff for a walk from the 1^st to the 15 ^th floor, with a reception of healthy snacks at the top. Attempts will be made to tie in with CBC's Maritime Noon and speak with the Mayor about the project.
3. Calorie Challenge: Staff will be invited to participate in the calorie challenge, where employees track the calories they burn and see who completes their goals the fastest.