| Keywords |
Environmental factor ; Gait pattern ; Free walking ; Video analysis |
| Abstract |
The present study examined age- and sex-related differences in the walking patterns of recreational park walkers during unrestricted walking. Three video cameras were unnoticeably and sequentially positioned along a paved park trail. Each camera continuously filmed free walkers who consecutively passed three segments of trail: down slope (DS; 5.83o, 83.5 m long), level (LV; 0o, 10 m long), and up slope (US; 8.90o, 98.4 m long, 2.23 m width), for one hour. Cameras recorded a 9-m distance of each representative segment, which was marked by plastic tape 2 cm wide. The visual image was stored on a digital video cassette, and a video digital program (Dart Fish) was utilized for analyzing step length (SL) and walking speed (WS). Only adults and clear images were included for analysis. The sex was identified and the age span was categorized visually into three groups (20 ? 39 years, young; 40 ? 59 years, middle; and ≥ 60 years, old age) by a technician. All recordings were conducted on a clear spring day. A total of 56 men and 121 women passed through all the trail segments analyzed. For men, the average SL was 81.3 ± 9.6, 82.3 ± 7.6, and 80.2 ± 8.8 cm, and the average WS was 1.42 ± 0.20, 1.40 ± 0.18, and 1.29 ± 0.19 m/sec on the DS, LV, and US trail segments, respectively, and was not different between age groups and the segments. For women, both SL (70.2 ± 5.2, 71.7 ± 3.7, and 68.6 ± 8.7 cm) and WS (1.23 ± 0.07, 1.22 ± 0.11, and 1.07 ± 0.18 m/s on the DS, LV, and US trail segments) of the old age group were significantly less than those of the other two age groups as well as that of aged men in corresponding trail segments (p < 0.05). No differences were observed in WS on all the trail segments between men and women. Based on the results, walking patterns of older women were distinctive compared to the youngers and the older men indicating age- and sexrelated differences of free walking in terrestrial environment. |