Influence of mobile phone texting on gait parameters during ramp ascent and descent

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the influences on gait features during mobile phone use while ramp walking. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Thirty-three healthy adult subjects performed four walking conditions on an outside ramp with a 5 m length, 1.5 m width, and a 5 o angle. All participants were touch screen mobile phone users. Four walking conditions were used: 1) ramp ascent,2) ramp descent, 3) texting during ramp ascent, and 4) texting during ramp descent. In conditions 3) and 4), subjects texted the words of "Aegukga"−the song of patriotism−while walking. Upon the signal of start, the subjects walked the ramp during texting. Gait parameters were measured at the length of 3 m excluding 1 m of the start and end of the total length. Each situation was repeated three times for each subject, and mean values were calculated. For gait examination, a gait analyzer was used (OptoGait). Results: Subjects ranged in age from 23 to 38 years (mean age, 27.73). Eighty-three percent of subjects in our study had experienced an accident during mobile phone use. Texting on a mobile phone while walking significantly decreased ramp gait, speed, cadence, stride length, step length, and single support (p<0.05) and significantly increased stride time, step time, gait cycle, and double support (p<0.05). There was a significant difference in cadence, step length, stride time, step time, and single support during ramp ascent and descent (p<0.05). Conclusions:Texting on a mobile phone while walking significantly decreased gait quality.

Possibility of Using Entropy Method to Evaluate the Distracting Effect of Mobile Phones on Pedestrians

“…The common parameters in the reviewed studies are: gait phase [16], gait velocity [6,16], gait speed [14,[17][18][19], gait cycle [17], cadence [12,14,17,18], stride velocity [12], stride time [12,14,17], stride length [12,14,17,18,20], step time [14,17,21], step length [14,17,21,22], single support [17], and double support [17,18,22]. Other than the common parameters, the reviewed studies also used the other gait parameters: range of motion [20,23], local stability and margin of stability [21].…”

Digital natives and dual task: Handling it but not immune against cognitive-locomotor interferences

“…Is reading the news on a smart phone different than reading a newspaper while walking? More generally, how is walking-stability in particular-influenced by using a smart phone simultaneously [5][6][7][8]? How talking on a phone vs. talking to a passenger is different in terms of driving [9]?…”

The Influence of Cell Phone Usage on Dynamic Stability of the Body During Walking

“…Loss of local stability of a given joint or segment, as a consequence of a perturbation, has implications for the ability of the body to respond and recover. Cell phone usage during walking is a common activity of daily living, but despite the additional cognitive load, attention deficit and known danger of injury or death, 10,25 little is known about capacity to maintain stable joint function during ambulation during different forms of cell phone activity including talking, texting, and reading. In agreement with the study hypothesis, the present study showed that dual-task cell phone usage while walking had a significant destabilizing influence on the lower limb joints.…”