Class
Article
Faculty Mentor
Chris Dakin
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Falls on stairs occur frequently in older adults and they can pose a significant health and financial risk to this population. Fall frequency may be reduced, however, through the enhancement of visual cues, such as striping the steps' face and edge, and the removal of distractions, such as mobile device use. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of these factors on fall frequency during stair negotiation. Our objectives were to determine if: staircase striping reduces fall risk factors; handrail reaching increases with proximity to the handrail; handrail reaching decreases with mobile device use, compared to hands free stair navigation. Our sample primarily consisted of college students utilizing two stairwells. Four security cameras captured users' stair ascent and descent. In one stairwell, a 5.5 cm black edge was added to each step and white vertical striping placed on stairs' faces. Data collection included fall risk factors (loss of balance, stumbles), walk speed (m/s), distractions (mobile device use, talking with a peer, or holding a phone), handrail reach success, and handrail proximity. We analyzed preliminary data using a mixed-model analysis that yielded the following preliminary trends:A significant difference in risk factor frequency between the striped and unstriped stairwells. Handrail reach success increased with handrail proximity.Mobile device users were less likely to use handrails.Distracted stair users had slower walk speeds. Users who were distracted by using a phone (0.72 ± 0.22 m/s) had slower walk speeds than those talking with a peer (0.74 ± 0.20 m/s), simply holding a phone (0.85 ± 0.282 m/s), or those who were not distracted (0.89 ± 0.33 m/s). These preliminary data illustrate that striping may reduce the risk of stair falls in college student populations and that distractions have a significant impact on handrail use and walk speed. Further studies should conducted with older adults. Presentation Time: Thursday, 10-11 a.m. Zoom link: https://usu-edu.zoom.us/j/83484931836?pwd=TlpyRWsrSjYvVVl6dTVXRi9YQ3JOZz09
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-12-2021 12:00 AM
Included in
The Effect of Step Edge Highlighters and Distractions, Such as Mobile Devices, on Successful Stair Negotiation
Logan, UT
Falls on stairs occur frequently in older adults and they can pose a significant health and financial risk to this population. Fall frequency may be reduced, however, through the enhancement of visual cues, such as striping the steps' face and edge, and the removal of distractions, such as mobile device use. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of these factors on fall frequency during stair negotiation. Our objectives were to determine if: staircase striping reduces fall risk factors; handrail reaching increases with proximity to the handrail; handrail reaching decreases with mobile device use, compared to hands free stair navigation. Our sample primarily consisted of college students utilizing two stairwells. Four security cameras captured users' stair ascent and descent. In one stairwell, a 5.5 cm black edge was added to each step and white vertical striping placed on stairs' faces. Data collection included fall risk factors (loss of balance, stumbles), walk speed (m/s), distractions (mobile device use, talking with a peer, or holding a phone), handrail reach success, and handrail proximity. We analyzed preliminary data using a mixed-model analysis that yielded the following preliminary trends:A significant difference in risk factor frequency between the striped and unstriped stairwells. Handrail reach success increased with handrail proximity.Mobile device users were less likely to use handrails.Distracted stair users had slower walk speeds. Users who were distracted by using a phone (0.72 ± 0.22 m/s) had slower walk speeds than those talking with a peer (0.74 ± 0.20 m/s), simply holding a phone (0.85 ± 0.282 m/s), or those who were not distracted (0.89 ± 0.33 m/s). These preliminary data illustrate that striping may reduce the risk of stair falls in college student populations and that distractions have a significant impact on handrail use and walk speed. Further studies should conducted with older adults. Presentation Time: Thursday, 10-11 a.m. Zoom link: https://usu-edu.zoom.us/j/83484931836?pwd=TlpyRWsrSjYvVVl6dTVXRi9YQ3JOZz09