Coded data from: Risky behaviors in young adults during stair descent: males versus females

<p>Injuries commonly occur on stairs, with high injury rates in young adults, especially young adult females. The purpose was to quantify young adult male and female behaviors during stair descent. Behaviors of young adults (N=2,400) were coded (by two human coders) on two indoor campus staircases. The short staircase had two steps, and the long staircase had 17 steps. No one used the handrail on the short staircase, 65% of pedestrians did not use the handrail on the long staircase, and 13.7% used an electronic device. Risky behaviors observed more in females included: less likely to use the handrail, more likely to carry an item in their hands, more likely to engage in conversation, and more likely to wear sandals or heels (p≤0.05). Protective behaviors observed more in females included: less likely to skip steps, and more likely to look at treads during transition steps (p≤0.05). The observed behaviors may be related to the high injury rate of stair-related falls in young adults, and females specifically.</p>