RESEARCH ARTICLE
Influence of Footwear on Gait Characteristics that are Associated With Increased Fall Risk in Older Persons
Tischa JM van der Cammen1, 2, 3, Carolyn Shanty Sterke4, 5, Alen Halilovic1, Johan Molenbroek1, *
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2016Volume: 9
First Page: 43
Last Page: 49
Publisher Id: TOERGJ-9-43
DOI: 10.2174/1875934301609010043
Article History:
Received Date: 02/06/2016Revision Received Date: 20/10/2016
Acceptance Date: 27/10/2016
Electronic publication date: 30/12/2016
Collection year: 2016
open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 International Public License (CC BY-NC 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode), which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
Abstract
Objective:
To investigate the influence of three different types of shoe models frequently worn at home, including an open heel shoe model, on gait parameters that are associated with fall risk in older persons.
Methods:
Twenty-five community-dwelling independent older persons were asked to walk on an electronic walkway system, the GAITRite® walkway, while wearing three different shoe models which are frequently worn at home. We measured spatial and temporal gait parameters.
Results:
Gait velocity and stride length were significantly reduced, and step time, stance, and double support time were significantly increased, when older persons wore an open heel shoe model compared to the high collar shoe models.
Conclusion:
Wearing an open heel shoe model is associated with gait parameters that are associated with fall risk, compared with a high collar shoe model, in community-dwelling older persons. With regard to falls prevention, further attention for footwear in older persons seems warranted, especially for footwear worn in and around the home.