Massimiliano Pau1, Serena Mandaresu2, Bruno Leban2, Maury A Nussbaum3. 1. Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Electronic address: massimiliano.pau@dimcm.unica.it. 2. Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. 3. Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, 521 Whittemore Hall (0118), Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To assess the effects of backpack carriage on plantar pressure distributions and spatio-temporal gait parameters among children. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred-eighteen schoolchildren, aged 6-13, and attending primary and secondary schools in the city of Cagliari (Italy). METHODS: Participants were tested at school, during regular days. A pressure plate and wearable inertial sensors were used to measure plantar pressures and spatio-temporal parameters of gait. Measures were obtained during both quiet standing and walking, and both with and without a backpack. The latter contained those items a child had on the testing day. RESULTS: Participants carried a mean mass in their backpacks of 5.2 kg, and more than half had a backpack/body mass ratio higher than 15%. While spatio-temporal gait parameters were not affected by backpack carriage, significant increases (up to 25%) in plantar pressures were found during both static standing and walking, especially in the forefoot. CONCLUSION: Under realistic conditions, the impact of backpack carriage was more evident on foot-ground interaction than on gait features. However, long-term consequences of altered plantar pressure need to be assessed in future work, considering the actual durations typically spent carrying school items.
PURPOSE: To assess the effects of backpack carriage on plantar pressure distributions and spatio-temporal gait parameters among children. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred-eighteen schoolchildren, aged 6-13, and attending primary and secondary schools in the city of Cagliari (Italy). METHODS:Participants were tested at school, during regular days. A pressure plate and wearable inertial sensors were used to measure plantar pressures and spatio-temporal parameters of gait. Measures were obtained during both quiet standing and walking, and both with and without a backpack. The latter contained those items a child had on the testing day. RESULTS:Participants carried a mean mass in their backpacks of 5.2 kg, and more than half had a backpack/body mass ratio higher than 15%. While spatio-temporal gait parameters were not affected by backpack carriage, significant increases (up to 25%) in plantar pressures were found during both static standing and walking, especially in the forefoot. CONCLUSION: Under realistic conditions, the impact of backpack carriage was more evident on foot-ground interaction than on gait features. However, long-term consequences of altered plantar pressure need to be assessed in future work, considering the actual durations typically spent carrying school items.
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