Conor Devitt

TAKE PKG: THE SIMPLE PRESENTATION OF INFORMATION CAN MAKE A LARGE DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S HEALTH CHOICES, ACCORDING TO A RESEARCH STUDY DONE BY A WSU KINESIOLOGY STUDENT. THE STUDY INVOLVED MEASURING THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO DECIDED TO TAKE THE STAIRS AS OPPOSED TO THE ELEVATOR LEADING UP TO THE CUB FROM THE PRACTICE FIELDS. THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO DECIDED TO USE THE STAIRS WAS THEN MEASURED ON ANOTHER WEEK WITH SIMILAR WEATHER, ONLY THIS TIME THE ELEVATOR WAS DECORATED WITH POSTERS ADVERTISING HOW MUCH WEIGHT THE AVERAGE STUDENT GAINS BY TAKING THE ELEVATOR: APPROXIMATELY 2.2 POUNDS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.

CJ WOYTOVECH: We had three data collectors per time slot, which was every hour on the hour, that helped out in basically doing a tally-count system that counted how many students used the stairs to the left of the CUB elevator and to the right of the CUB elevator as well as whether they ascended or descended.

THE RESULTS WERE DEFINITE. 27 PERCENT OF STUDENTS CHOSE TO TAKE THE STAIRS IN THE FIRST DATA COLLECTION. AFTER THE MOTIVATIONAL SIGNS WENT UP 45 PERCENT OF STUDENTS DECIDED TO WALK INSTEAD OF USING THE ELEVATOR. THERE WAS AN ESPECIALLY LARGE CHANGE IN THE FEMALE PERCENTAGE.

CJ WOYTOVECH: In the results of our pre-motivational sign data collection we saw that females used the elevator far more than males. On our motivational sign phase of this project we saw a drastic difference with the number of females taking the stairs.

NOT ALL FEMALE STUDENTS THOUGHT THE SIGNS WERE EFFECTIVE, HOWEVER.

MEGAN THOMPSON: So the signs that were put into the CUB Elevator about taking the stairs and losing weight really didn’t affect me that much, because if I’m in a rush I’ll take the stairs up because its faster but if I’m leisurely walking I’ll take the elevator. It really doesn’t make that big of a difference to me, I’m a pretty active person.

THIS STUDY IS ONE OF MANY SPEARHEADED BY WOYTOVECH IN AN EFFORT TO EXAMINE STUDENT HEALTH AT WSU. THE RESULTS SEEMED PROMISING ENOUGH TO WARRANT FURTHER CONSIDERATION.

CJ WOYTOVECH: It would be interesting…to see later on whether a longitudinal study of having those signs up for a longer period of time would affect and get better statistics on males’ and females’ elevator use and stair use.

WITH MURROW NEWS, THIS IS CONOR DEVITT.