Ladder Use Ability, Behavior and Exposure by Age and Gender

Autor: Erika M. Pliner, Daina L. Sturnieks, Kurt E. Beschorner, Mark S. Redfern, Stephen R. Lord
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Geriatrics, Vol 9, Iss 3, p 61 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2308-3417
07258348
DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics9030061
Popis: This study aimed to quantify and compare ladder use ability and behavior in younger and older men and women from three ladder use behavior experiments. The experimental tasks comprised (1) changing a lightbulb on a household stepladder under two cognitive demands (single and dual task), (2) clearing a simulated roof gutter on a straight ladder and (3) querying ladder choice in different exigency scenarios. Ladder use ability and behavior data were captured from recorded time, performance, motion capture and user choice data. In addition, this study surveyed ladder use frequency and habitual behaviors. The experimental findings indicate that older adults require more time to complete ladder tasks; younger adults display riskier ladder use behaviors; men and women display similar ladder use ability; and men are more willing to climb riskier ladders. The survey found older adults to report more frequent ladder use than younger adults, and men use straight ladders more frequently than women. These results suggest that the reported higher ladder fall rates experienced by older adults and men are linked to increased ladder use exposure and riskier ladder choice. This knowledge can help guide population-specific interventions to reduce ladder falls in both young and older people.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals