The Influence of Visual Factors on Fall-related Kinematic Variables During Stair Descent by Older Women

Abstract

Despite the documented health hazards associated with stair descent, the mechanisms of falling on stairs remain relatively unexamined. The objectives of this study were to define kinematic variables that could be used to describe foot-stair spatial relationships during the mid-stair phase of stair descent, and to investigate the effects of various visual and environmental conditions on those variables in a group of 36 healthy women between the ages of 55 and 70. Foot clearance and foot placement were measured through high-speed film analysis. Clearance between the foot and the stair during swing phase was small under all visual conditions. Degraded visual acuity had a significant effect on cadence, foot placement, and foot clearance, but visual surround conditions did not. The kinematic variables used in this experiment may be helpful in future studies to assess the results of interventions aimed at reducing the frequency of falls on stairs.

Prevention of falls during stairway descent in older adults

“…As previous studies (Simoneau et al, 1991;Buckley et al, 2005;Wright and Roys, 2008) point out, a risk of stairway falls can be caused by factors of stair design, stairway environment, and cognitive and physical capabilities. In particular, when these factors cannot complement each other, the risk would be expected to increase.…”

“…The velocity during stairway descent is related to the foot clearance (Livingston et al, 1991). The increase of foot clearance during a stairway descent is used as a predictor of the likelihood for a fall to occur (Simoneau et al, 1991). The gait patterns during a stairway descent are related to the foot placement and clearance (Nelson, 1973;Cohen et al, 1985;Simoneau et al, 1992).…”

The Effectiveness of Community-Based Tai Chi Training on Balance Control during Stair Descent by Older Adults

“…The ability to negotiate stairs can be a quite challenging task when the elderly have reduced balance control and joint diseases of the lower extremities: for example, individuals affected by neuromuscular dysfunction, reduced visual capacity, osteoarthritis, joint or limb replacements and patellofemoral pain 26,27) . Stair descent is the most challenging aspect of stair negotiation 25,28) and is responsible for three-quarters of all staircase accidents 24) , even though both stair ascent and descent are physically challenging tasks for the elderly.…”

Reduced sensitivity for visual textures affects judgments of shape-from-shading and step-climbing behaviour in older adults

“…Adults over 65 account for around 70% of deaths from falls on stairs (Dowswell et al, 1999). While falls are caused by many factors including decline in musculo-skeletal function, visual factors known to affect toe elevation and stepping behaviour in older adults include illumination (Simoneua Cavanagh, Ulbrecht, Leibowitz & Tyrrell, 1991;Hamel, Okita, Higginson & Cavanagh, 2005) optical blur (Heasley, Bukley, Scally, Twigg & Elliot, 2004;, altered gaze patterns (Chapman & Hollands, 2006;Young, Wing and Hollands, 2012), and reductions in useful visual field (J. G. Reed-Jones, R. J. Reed-Jones and Hollands, 2011).…”