1. Effects of Backpack Carriage on Gait Parameters in Children
- Author
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Stacey Hunter, Nick Nordtvedt, Melinda Laughter, Barbara H. Connolly, Abigail Mills, Brad Cook, and Andrew J. Bush
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Shoulders ,Posture ,Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation ,Walking ,Base of support ,medicine.disease_cause ,Weight-bearing ,Weight-Bearing ,Physical medicine and rehabilitation ,Gait (human) ,medicine ,Humans ,Child ,Gait ,business.industry ,Biomechanics ,Stride length ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,Backpack ,Carriage ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Female ,business - Abstract
Carrying a backpack over 2 shoulders is the most efficient means of carriage, but often backpacks are carried over 1 shoulder. Our purpose was to assess walking base of support, stride length, double support time, and velocity when backpacks were carried on 1 or 2 shoulders.Thirty-two children (12-13 years) were assessed under 2 load conditions using the GAITRite system.No significant differences were found in base of support, stride length, or velocity when compared with the unloaded baseline walk. Double limb support significantly increased (p0.0001) with both load conditions when compared with the baseline, but not between 1-shoulder and 2-shoulders carriage.Little change in temporal-spatial gait parameters was noted during backpack use with loads limited to 15% body weight. Future studies need to examine the effects of the child's height, body mass index, and strength on safe backpack use.
- Published
- 2008
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