English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Free Plan

yesBackground: Falls on stairs are a common and dangerous problem for older people. This series of studies\udevaluated whether or not selected changes to the appearance of stairs could make them safer for older\udpeople to negotiate.\udObjectives: To determine the effect of (1) a step edge highlighter and its position and (2) an optimised\udhorizontal–vertical (H–V) visual illusion placed on a step riser on gait safety during stair descent and ascent.\udDesign: A series of studies using a repeated measures, laboratory-based design, investigating gait control\udand safety in independently mobile older people.\udSetting: The University of Bradford Vision and Mobility Laboratory.\udParticipants: Fit and healthy older people aged 60 years of age or more, independently mobile,\udreasonably active and with normal healthy eyes and corrected vision.\udInterventions: A step edge highlighter in a variety of offsets from the stair edge and an optimised H–V visual\udillusion placed on the stair riser. The H–V illusion was provided on a staircase by horizontal step edge\udhighlighters on the tread edges and vertical stripes on the step risers.\udMain outcome measures: Gait parameters that are important for safe stepping in ascent and descent,\udparticularly toe clearance during stair ascent and heel clearance during stair descent.\udResults: The step edge highlighter increased the precision of heel clearance during stepping and its\udpositioning relative to the tread edge determined the extent of heel clearance over the tread edge.\udPositioning the highlighter away from the tread edge, as is not uncommonly provided by friction strips,\uddecreased heel clearance significantly and led to greater heel scuffs. Although psychophysics experiments\udsuggested that higher spatial frequencies of the H–V illusion might provide greater toe clearance on stair\udascent, gait trials showed similar increased toe clearances for all spatial frequencies. When a 12 cycle per\udstep spatial frequency H–V illusion was used, toe clearance increases of approximately 1 cm (17.5%)\udoccurred without any accompanying changes in other important gait parameters or stability measures.\udConclusions: High-contrast tread edge highlighters present on steps and stairs and positioned flush with\udthe edge of the tread or as near to this as possible should improve stair descent safety in older people. A\udH–V illusion positioned on the riser of a raised surface/walkway (e.g. kerbs) and/or the top and/or bottom\udof a stairway is likely to increase foot clearance over the associated step/stair edge, and appears not to\udlead to any decrement in postural stability. Thus, their use is likely to reduce trip risk and hence improve\udstair ascent safety. The effect of the step and stair modifications should be assessed in older people with\udvisual impairment. The only other remaining assessment that could be made would be to assess fall\udprevalence on steps and stairs, perhaps in public buildings, with and without these modifications.National Institute for Health Research, Public Health Research programme. PHR programme as project number 10/3009/0

public health research

Analysis of lower limb movement to determine the effect of manipulating the appearance of stairs to improve safety: a linked series of laboratory-based, repeated measures studies