Citation

Goto K, Abe K. Appl. Ergon. 2017; 65: 163-167.

Affiliation

Graduate School of Health and Welfare, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, 1398 Shimami-cho, Kita-ku, Niigata City, Niigata 950-3198, Japan. Electronic address: kao-abe@nuhw.ac.jp.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.apergo.2017.06.012

PMID

28802435

Abstract

Although workers in Japan are required to wear safety footwear, there is concern about occupational accidents that occur when wearing safety shoes. This study aimed to analyze the effect of wearing hardsoled safety shoes on both spatiotemporal gait characteristics and the muscle activity in the lower extremities. Seventeen young women participated in this study. A 5-m gait trial and a surface electromyography trial were conducted while the women walked in either safety shoes or sports shoes. Paired t-tests were performed to analyze the differences in gait characteristics when walking in the two different pairs of shoes. Walking in safety shoes was associated with a significant increase in vastus lateralis, biceps femoris and tibialis anterior activity. This increased muscle activity in the lower extremities is likely compensating for the lower flexibility of the safety shoes.

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Electromyography; Gait; Personal protective equipment