Centre for Policy on Ageing



Foot position awareness in younger and older men — the influence of footwear sole properties
Author(s)	Steven Robbins, Edward Waked, Paul Allard
Journal title	Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol 45, no 1, January 1997
Pages	pp 61-66
Keywords	Footwear ; Feet problems ; Mobility ; Falls ; Adults ; Older men ; Comparison ; Canada.
Annotation	In this Canadian study, a random sample of 13 healthy men (mean age 72.58 years) was compared with a younger control group of 13 men (mean age 28.13) on their stability and foot position awareness. The following measurements were used: balance failure frequency, defined as falls per 100 metres of beam walking; rearfoot angle in degrees, measured via an optical position measurement system; perceived maximum supination when walking, in degrees, estimated by subjects using a ratio scale; foot position error, in degrees, defined as the rearfoot angle minus maximum supination. The study concludes that foot position awareness is related causally to stability; and shoes with thin, hard soles provide better stability for men than those with thick, soft midsoles. Foot position awareness declines - and therefore errors increase - with advancing years. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-970812236 A
Classmark	YW8: BLF: C4: OLF: SD: BC: 48: 7S
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.