Barriers to inclusive subway station use for older adults: An age-comparative video-stimulated recall study identifying universal and age-specific discomfort

Background Subway stations are essential but demanding environments for older adults, yet how their experiences differ from those of younger users remains qualitatively underexplored. Prior work has examined older passengers in isolation, leaving it unclear which barriers are age-specific and which reflect universal design failures. Methods We compared 30 older adults (aged 65+) and 30 younger adults (aged 20–39) navigating a major multi-line transfer station in Seoul, South Korea. Non-participatory behavioral observation was paired with video-stimulated recall (VSR) interviews using first-person wearable camera footage. Thematic analysis was applied to 1,831 coded segments, with an exploratory gender comparison. Results Five discomfort themes were identified: Stairs, Escalator and Elevator, Signage, Crowding, and Station Infrastructure. Factors were universal when participant reach was comparable across groups and age-specific when one group's reach was at least twice the other's. Stair descent, elevator access, and handrail discomfort were older-adult-specific; being slowed by pedestrians ahead was younger-adult-specific; and stair ascent, crowding, and signage complexity were universal. Older adults generated 4.4 times as many high-level discomfort mentions, mainly in vertical circulation. Universal factors differed in meaning: crowding was a safety threat for older adults but a flow disruption for younger adults. Younger women had more high-level crowding mentions than older women. Conclusions The same station environment was associated with differing forms and levels of discomfort across groups; comparable participant reach did not imply comparable burden. Studying older adults alone risks conflating age-specific barriers with universal design failures. Inclusive station design should consider gender alongside age.