Skip to main content

Table 3 Differences in balance and gait patterns between the footwear conditions

From: Preliminary evaluation of prototype footwear and insoles to optimise balance and gait in older people

 

Flexible footwear

Own footwear

Prototype footwear

P valuee

Balance

 Postural sway velocity, °/secc

0.53 (0.19)

0.60 (0.26)

0.57 (0.21)

0.096

Limits of stability test

 Maximum excursion (% LOS)b

70.3 (15.6)

69.9 (17.4)

71.5 (15.7)

0.594

 Directional control (%)d

57.4 (15.5)

54.0 (17.2)

55.1 (15.3)

0.206

Tandem walk test

 Speed, cm/secd

17.8 (8.7)

19.4 (10.0)

18.3 (10.6)

0.086

 Step width, cmc

11.6 (5.7)

10.2 (6.2)

7.4 (3.1)a,b

0.001

 End sway, °/secc

5.9 (3.4)

4.9 (2.0)

4.1 (2.0)a,b

0.009

Gait patterns

 Walking speed, cm/secd

107.4 (18.1)

109.5 (19.2)

108.0 (17.8)

0.204

 Cadence, steps/minc

110.8 (10.1)

112.0 (11.2)

111.1 (10.2)

0.173

 Step length, cmd

58.0 (7.1)

58.5 (7.2)

58.2 (6.8)

0.544

 Step width, cmc

59.1 (6.6)

59.6 (7.0)

59.4 (6.6)

0.303

  1. Values are mean (SD)
  2. asignificantly different to flexible shoe
  3. bsignificantly different to own shoes
  4. LOS limits of stability
  5. clower scores represent better performance
  6. dhigher scores represent better performance
  7. e P value for main effect of one-way ANOVA