Do Stairs Inhibit Seniors Who Live on Upper Floors From Going Out?

Background: Walk-up buildings are common in China today since they were almost the only type of residential buildings constructed from the 1950s to the 1990s. Objectives: This study examined how a vertical mobility obstacle, that is, mandatory stair climbing in walk-up residential buildings, may impact whether seniors go outdoors. Methods: We collected and examined 1,608 valid data records from 64 Chinese senior participants in Shanghai wearing Fitbit HR wristbands that tracked their mobility and physical activity for 31 consecutive days. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regressions were performed on the binary leaving-home-or-not probability by the level of vertical obstacles controlled for physical–demographic factors, socioeconomic factors, outdoor activity habits, and weather. Results: Our observations revealed that each floor above ground level reduced the likelihood of outdoor trips by approximately one third per floor. After controlling for the physical, demographic, and socioeconomic factors of the participants as well as weather and holidays, we found that significantly fewer going-out incidents were also associated with more frequent outdoor activities within the community, especially in paved areas, but no associations were observed with self-reported visit frequencies to green spaces, senior centers within the community, or other places outside the community. Conclusion: This study offered the in situ observation that seniors’ probability of leaving their homes is correlated with the degree of vertical circulation as a mobility barrier (i.e., the number of stairs between their living space and access to the outdoors), which may impact policy making for regulations concerning elevators in residential codes and renovations.