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Cleworth T, Tondat A, Goomer K, Kalra M, Laing AC. Effects of flooring on static and dynamic balance in young and older adults. Gait Posture 2024; 107:42-48. [PMID: 37734190 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reducing fall-related injuries is difficult due to the multi-factorial nature of falls, and challenges in implementing injury-preventative strategies. While safety floors are effective at absorbing energy and reducing fall-related impact forces, the low stiffness component of these floors may impair an individual's balance and mobility, thereby increasing fall risk. RESEARCH QUESTION Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the influence of compliant flooring (i.e., safety flooring) on balance and mobility in young and older adults. METHODS Kinematics were measured with inertial measurement units from 20 young and 10 older adults. Static balance was evaluated during quiet stance on three flooring surfaces (traditional, safety, foam) with three stance positions (regular, tandem, one-legged). Mobility was evaluated using the 3 m timed-up-and-go test on two flooring surfaces (traditional, safety). RESULTS All participants were able to complete quiet standing trials on normal and safety flooring surfaces; however, most older adults could not complete one-legged stance trials or standing on foam. Significant age-related effects were observed for several balance and mobility tasks, particularly during the more challenging tandem stance condition, and the dynamic timed-up-and-go mobility test. In contrast, the introduction of safety flooring (compared to traditional flooring) had limited effects on balance/mobility (1 of 16 outcome variables showed negative effects). SIGNIFICANCE Overall, the findings demonstrate minimal effects of a novel safety floor compared to the age-related differences, and provide insights to assist researchers, consumers, and industry stakeholders in the development of environments that support safe movement and maintained independence for older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Cleworth
- School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Canada; York University Centre for Aging Research and Education, York University, Toronto, Canada; Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Alyssa Tondat
- Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Kanishk Goomer
- Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Mayank Kalra
- Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada; Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Andrew C Laing
- Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada; Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, Waterloo, Canada.
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Drahota A, Felix LM, Raftery J, Keenan BE, Lachance CC, Mackey DC, Markham C, Laing AC, Farrell-Savage K, Okunribido O. Shock-absorbing flooring for fall-related injury prevention in older adults and staff in hospitals and care homes: the SAFEST systematic review. Health Technol Assess 2022; 26:1-196. [PMID: 35089119 DOI: 10.3310/zowl2323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Injurious falls in hospitals and care homes are a life-limiting and costly international issue. Shock-absorbing flooring may offer part of the solution; however, evidence is required to inform decision-making. OBJECTIVES The objectives were to assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of shock-absorbing flooring for fall-related injury prevention among older adults in care settings. REVIEW METHODS A systematic review was conducted of experimental, observational, qualitative and economic studies evaluating flooring in care settings targeting older adults and/or staff. Studies identified by a scoping review (inception to May 2016) were screened, and the search of MEDLINE, AgeLine and Scopus (to September 2019) was updated, alongside other sources. Two independent reviewers assessed risk of bias in duplicate (using Cochrane's Risk of Bias 2.0 tool, the Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies - of Interventions tool, or the Joanna Briggs Institute's qualitative tool). RESULTS Of the 22 included studies, 20 assessed the outcomes (three randomised controlled trials; and seven observational, five qualitative and five economic studies) on novel floors (n = 12), sports floors (n = 5), carpet (n = 5) and wooden subfloors (n = 1). Quantitative data related to 11,857 patient/resident falls (nine studies) and 163 staff injuries (one study). Qualitative studies included patients/residents (n = 20), visitors (n = 8) and staff (n = 119). Hospital-based randomised controlled trial data were too imprecise; however, very low-quality evidence indicated that novel/sports flooring reduced injurious falls from three per 1000 patients per day on vinyl with concrete subfloors to two per 1000 patients per day (rate ratio 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.36 to 0.84; two studies), without increasing falls rates (two studies). One care home-based randomised controlled trial found that a novel underlay produces similar injurious falls rates (high-quality evidence) and falls rates (moderate-quality evidence) to those of a plywood underlay with vinyl overlays and concrete subfloors. Very low-quality data demonstrated that, compared with rigid floors, novel/sports flooring reduced the number of falls resulting in injury in care homes (26.4% vs. 33.0%; risk ratio 0.80, 95% confidence interval 0.70 to 0.91; three studies) and hospitals (27.1% vs. 42.4%; risk ratio 0.64, 95% confidence interval 0.44 to 0.93; two studies). Fracture and head injury outcomes were imprecise; however, hip fractures reduced from 30 per 1000 falls on concrete to 18 per 1000 falls on wooden subfloors in care homes (odds ratio 0.59, 95% confidence interval 0.45 to 0.78; one study; very low-quality evidence). Four low-quality economic studies concluded that shock-absorbing flooring reduced costs and improved outcomes (three studies), or increased costs and improved outcomes (one study). One, more robust, study estimated that shock-absorbing flooring resulted in fewer quality-adjusted life-years and lower costs, if the number of falls increased on shock-absorbing floors, but that shock-absorbing flooring would be a dominant economic strategy if the number of falls remained the same. Staff found moving wheeled equipment more difficult on shock-absorbing floors, leading to workplace adaptations. Staff injuries were observed; however, very low-quality evidence suggests that these are no less frequent on rigid floors. LIMITATIONS Evidence favouring shock-absorbing flooring is of very low quality; thus, much uncertainty remains. CONCLUSIONS Robust evidence is lacking in hospitals and indicates that one novel floor may not be effective in care homes. Very low-quality evidence indicates that shock-absorbing floors may be beneficial; however, wider workplace implications need to be addressed. Work is required to establish a core outcome set, and future research needs to more comprehensively deal with confounding and the paucity of hospital-based studies, and better plan for workplace adaptations in the study design. STUDY REGISTRATION This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42019118834. FUNDING This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 26, No. 5. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Drahota
- School of Health and Care Professions, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Lambert M Felix
- School of Health and Care Professions, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - James Raftery
- Wessex Institute, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | | | | | - Dawn C Mackey
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Chris Markham
- School of Health and Care Professions, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Andrew C Laing
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
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Drahota A, Felix LM, Raftery J, Keenan BE, Lachance CC, Mackey DC, Markham C, Laing AC. The SAFEST review: a mixed methods systematic review of shock-absorbing flooring for fall-related injury prevention. BMC Geriatr 2022; 22:32. [PMID: 34991466 PMCID: PMC8739972 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-021-02670-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Shock-absorbing flooring may minimise impact forces incurred from falls to reduce fall-related injuries; however, synthesized evidence is required to inform decision-making in hospitals and care homes. METHODS This is a Health Technology Assessment mixed methods systematic review of flooring interventions targeting older adults and staff in care settings. Our search incorporated the findings from a previous scoping review, MEDLINE, AgeLine, and Scopus (to September 2019) and other sources. Two independent reviewers selected, assessed, and extracted data from studies. We assessed risk of bias using Cochrane and Joanna Briggs Institute tools, undertook meta-analyses, and meta-aggregation. RESULTS 20 of 22 included studies assessed our outcomes (3 Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs); 7 observational; 5 qualitative; 5 economic), on novel floors (N = 12), sports floors (N = 5), carpet (N = 5), and wooden sub-floors (N = 1). Quantitative data related to 11,857 patient falls (9 studies), and 163 staff injuries (1 study). One care home-based RCT found a novel underlay produced similar injurious falls rates (high-quality evidence) and falls rates (moderate-quality evidence) to a plywood underlay with vinyl overlay and concrete sub-floors. Very low-quality evidence suggested that shock-absorbing flooring may reduce injuries in hospitals (Rate Ratio 0.55, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.84, 2 studies; 27.1% vs. 42.4%; Risk Ratio (RR) = 0.64, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.93, 2 studies) and care homes (26.4% vs. 33.0%; RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.91, 3 studies), without increasing falls. Economic evidence indicated that if injuries are fewer and falls not increased, then shock-absorbing flooring would be a dominant strategy. Fracture outcomes were imprecise; however, hip fractures reduced from 30 in 1000 falls on concrete to 18 in 1000 falls on wooden sub-floors (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.78; one study; very low-quality evidence). Staff found moving wheeled equipment harder on shock-absorbing floors leading to workplace adaptations. Very low-quality evidence suggests staff injuries were no less frequent on rigid floors. CONCLUSION Evidence favouring shock-absorbing flooring is uncertain and of very low quality. Robust research following a core outcome set is required, with attention to wider staff workplace implications. TRIAL REGISTRATION PROSPERO CRD42019118834 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Drahota
- School of Health and Care Professions, University of Portsmouth, St. Andrew's Court, St. Michael's Road, Portsmouth, PO1 2PR, UK.
| | - Lambert M Felix
- International Centre for Evidence in Disability, Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - James Raftery
- Wessex Institute, University of Southampton, Alpha House, Enterprise Road, Southampton, SO16 7NS, UK
| | - Bethany E Keenan
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Queen's Buildings, The Parade, Cardiff, CF24 3AA, UK
| | - Chantelle C Lachance
- School of Health and Care Professions, University of Portsmouth, St. Andrew's Court, St. Michael's Road, Portsmouth, PO1 2PR, UK
| | - Dawn C Mackey
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive East, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Chris Markham
- School of Health and Care Professions, University of Portsmouth, St. Andrew's Court, St. Michael's Road, Portsmouth, PO1 2PR, UK
| | - Andrew C Laing
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, B.C. Matthews Hall, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
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Abstract
Introduction: Low impact flooring (LIF) has shown potential for reducing fall-related injuries for older people in residential care or hospital environments. However, the increased rolling resistance when moving equipment on these floors has raised concerns that staff injuries may increase.Methods: LIF was trialled on one Older Persons Health ward for 2.5 years. Reported staff injuries were monitored during and following the trial. Numbers of staff injured on the LIF ward were compared with three other similar and adjacent OPH wards without LIF for the duration of the trial ('concurrent control' evaluation). At the trial conclusion the LIF ward moved to a different hospital that had standard flooring. This enabled a further 'during and after' evaluation where numbers of staff injured from the LIF ward during the trial were compared with those reported afterwards by the same ward staff without LIF.Results: There was no difference in the numbers of staff injured in the LIF ward compared with the concurrent control wards (28 LIF vs 30 control; p = 0.44). The number of staff with injuries in the LIF ward also did not significantly alter when those staff moved to a new ward without LIF (45 after vs 28 before; p = 0.11).Conclusion: There was no change in the numbers of staff with injuries during the LIF trial in an Older Persons Health ward. This small study suggests LIF appears safe for both patients and staff.Implications for rehabilitationFalls in hospital are common with patient injuries occurring in approximately 20-30% of falls.Low impact (compliant) flooring may reduce fall-related injuries in hospitals and residential care.Low impact flooring has an increased rolling resistance, which has the potential to increase staff injuries when moving equipment.This study found no change in the number of staff injured during a low impact flooring trial providing some reassurance that these floors are safe for staff.
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Affiliation(s)
- H C Hanger
- Canterbury District Health Board, Geriatrician, Burwood Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand.,Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Tim J Wilkinson
- Canterbury District Health Board, Geriatrician, Burwood Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand.,Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
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Drahota A, Felix LM, Keenan BE, Lachance CC, Laing A, Mackey DC, Raftery J. Protocol for the SAFEST review: the Shock-Absorbing Flooring Effectiveness SysTematic review including older adults and staff in hospitals and care homes. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e032315. [PMID: 32071174 PMCID: PMC7044972 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Falls in hospitals and care homes are a major issue of international concern. Inpatient falls are the most commonly reported safety incident in the UK's National Health Service (NHS), costing the NHS £630 million a year. Injurious falls are particularly life-limiting and costly. There is a growing body of evidence on shock-absorbing flooring for fall-related injury prevention; however, no systematic review exists to inform practice. METHODS AND ANALYSIS We will systematically identify, appraise and summarise studies investigating the clinical and cost-effectiveness, and experiences of shock-absorbing flooring in hospitals and care homes. Our search will build on an extensive search conducted by a scoping review (inception to May 2016). We will search electronic databases (AgeLine, CINAHL, MEDLINE, NHS Economic Evaluation Database, Scopus and Web of Science; May 2016-present), trial registries and grey literature. We will conduct backward and forward citation searches of included studies, and liaise with study researchers. We will evaluate the influence of floors on fall-related injuries, falls and staff work-related injuries through randomised and non-randomised studies, consider economic and qualitative evidence, and implementation factors. We will consider risk of bias, assess heterogeneity and explore potential effect modifiers via subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses. Where appropriate we will combine studies through meta-analysis. We will use the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations) approach to evaluate the quality of evidence and present the results using summary of findings tables, and adhere to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses reporting guidelines. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION We will follow the ethical principles of systematic review conduct, by attending to publication ethics, transparency and rigour. Our dissemination plan includes peer-reviewed publication, presentations, press release, stakeholder symposium, patient video and targeted knowledge-to-action reports. This review will inform decision-making around falls management in care settings and identify important directions for future research. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42019118834.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Drahota
- School of Health & Care Professions, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK
| | - Lambert M Felix
- School of Health & Care Professions, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK
| | - Bethany E Keenan
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, UK
| | - Chantelle C Lachance
- School of Health & Care Professions, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK
| | - Andrew Laing
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dawn C Mackey
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - James Raftery
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, UK
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Mackey DC, Lachance CC, Wang PT, Feldman F, Laing AC, Leung PM, Hu XJ, Robinovitch SN. The Flooring for Injury Prevention (FLIP) Study of compliant flooring for the prevention of fall-related injuries in long-term care: A randomized trial. PLoS Med 2019; 16:e1002843. [PMID: 31233541 PMCID: PMC6590787 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fall-related injuries exert an enormous health burden on older adults in long-term care (LTC). Softer landing surfaces, such as those provided by low-stiffness "compliant" flooring, may prevent fall-related injuries by decreasing the forces applied to the body during fall impact. Our primary objective was to assess the clinical effectiveness of compliant flooring at preventing serious fall-related injuries among LTC residents. METHODS AND FINDINGS The Flooring for Injury Prevention (FLIP) Study was a 4-year, randomized superiority trial in 150 single-occupancy resident rooms at a single Canadian LTC site. In April 2013, resident rooms were block randomized (1:1) to installation of intervention compliant flooring (2.54 cm SmartCells) or rigid control flooring (2.54 cm plywood) covered with identical hospital-grade vinyl. The primary outcome was serious fall-related injury over 4 years that required an emergency department visit or hospital admission and a treatment procedure or diagnostic evaluation in hospital. Secondary outcomes included minor fall-related injury, any fall-related injury, falls, and fracture. Outcomes were ascertained by blinded assessors between September 1, 2013 and August 31, 2017 and analyzed by intention to treat. Adverse outcomes were not assessed. During follow-up, 184 residents occupied 74 intervention rooms, and 173 residents occupied 76 control rooms. Residents were 64.3% female with mean (SD) baseline age 81.7 (9.5) years (range 51.1 to 104.6 years), body mass index 25.9 (7.7) kg/m2, and follow-up 1.64 (1.39) years. 1,907 falls were reported; 23 intervention residents experienced 38 serious injuries (from 29 falls in 22 rooms), while 23 control residents experienced 47 serious injuries (from 34 falls in 23 rooms). Compliant flooring did not affect odds of ≥1 serious fall-related injury (12.5% intervention versus 13.3% control, odds ratio [OR]: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.52 to 1.84, p = 0.950) or ≥2 serious fall-related injuries (5.4% versus 7.5%, OR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.31 to 1.75, p = 0.500). Compliant flooring did not affect rate of serious fall-related injuries (0.362 versus 0.422 per 1,000 bed nights, rate ratio [RR]: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.45 to 2.39, p = 0.925; 0.038 versus 0.053 per fall, RR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.38 to 1.71, p = 0.560), rate of falls with ≥1 serious fall-related injury (0.276 versus 0.303 per 1,000 bed nights, RR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.52 to 1.79, p = 0.920), or time to first serious fall-related injury (0.237 versus 0.257, hazard ratio [HR]: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.52 to 1.62, p = 0.760). Compliant flooring did not affect any secondary outcome in this study. Study limitations included the following: findings were specific to 2.54 cm SmartCells compliant flooring installed in LTC resident rooms, standard fall and injury prevention interventions were in use throughout the study and may have influenced the observed effect of compliant flooring, and challenges with concussion detection in LTC residents may have prevented estimation of the effect of compliant flooring on fall-related concussions. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to results from previous retrospective and nonrandomized studies, this study found that compliant flooring underneath hospital-grade vinyl was not effective at preventing serious fall-related injuries in LTC. Future studies are needed to identify effective methods for preventing fall-related injuries in LTC. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01618786.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn C. Mackey
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Chantelle C. Lachance
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Peiwei T. Wang
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fabio Feldman
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Clinical Quality & Patient Safety, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Andrew C. Laing
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pet M. Leung
- New Vista Society Care Home, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - X. Joan Hu
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Stephen N. Robinovitch
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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Sittichoke C, Buasord J, Boripuntakul S, Sungkarat S. Effects of Compliant Flooring on Dynamic Balance and Gait Characteristics of Community-dwelling Older Persons. J Nutr Health Aging 2019; 23:665-668. [PMID: 31367732 DOI: 10.1007/s12603-019-1211-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Compliant flooring while providing the impact force attenuation in the event of falls, its low stiffness characteristic might impair balance and gait which consequently resulted in an increase in the risk of falling. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of compliant flooring on dynamic balance and gait performance of older adults under challenging conditions. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS A cross-sectional designed with repeated measured. Thirty five community-dwelling older adults (mean age 74.91 ± 6.51 yrs) participated in this study. MEASUREMENT Modified Dynamic Gait Index (mDGI) and Timed Up and Go (TUG) were used to assess dynamic balance. Spatio-temporal gait parameters were measured under comfortable and maximal speed. All tests were administered on the vinyl and compliant flooring in random order. RESULTS The time taken to complete TUG and the mDGI scores were similar between the two flooring types (p ≥ 0.05). Overall, gait characteristics were comparable when walking on the compliant and vinyl flooring for both speeds except for swing time, step time, and cadence. CONCLUSION The present study demonstrated that compliant flooring did not significantly affect dynamic balance and had minimal effects on gait characteristics. The compliant flooring appears to be safe for installing in self-ambulating older adult's home.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Sittichoke
- Somporn Sungkarat, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 50200; E-mail address: ; Tel. + 66 53 949 249; Fax. +66 53 946 042
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