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Published on: April 21, 2017
Quantifying wheelchair activity of children: a pilot study
Rory A Cooper1, Michelle Tolerico, Beth Ann Kaminski
1Human Engineering Research Laboratories, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15206, USA.
Insights
Children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric rehabilitation
- Assistive technology
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Understanding wheelchair mobility in children is crucial for developing effective interventions.
- Limited data exists on real-world wheelchair activity patterns in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate mobility-related wheelchair activity in children within their community environment.
- To analyze differences in wheelchair usage between manual and electric-powered wheelchair users.
- To explore potential gender-based variations in wheelchair mobility.
Main Methods:
- Data logging devices were used to collect mobility data from 18 children (8-17 years) independently using wheelchairs.
- Activity data was recorded for 5 days, excluding the first and last day due to device attachment/removal timing.
- Wheelchair activity metrics included distance traveled, speed, and start/stop frequency.
Main Results:
- Children using manual wheelchairs traveled an average of 1602.31 m/day, while electric-powered wheelchair users traveled 1752.42 m/day.
- Significant gender differences were observed, with boys traveling further than girls (P = 0.008).
- Manual wheelchair users had a higher daily average of starts/stops per thousand meters compared to electric-powered wheelchair users.
Conclusions:
- Gender appears to be a factor influencing wheelchair activity variability in children.
- These findings provide a basis for future research into pediatric wheelchair mobility.
- Further investigation is needed to understand the implications of these mobility patterns.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to investigate mobility-related wheelchair activity of children in their community setting.
Design:
Mobility-related wheelchair activity data from 18 community-dwelling children (9 manual and 9 electric powered) were collected using custom-designed data logging devices. The children were between 8 and 17 yrs of age and independently used a wheelchair as their primary means of mobility. A data logging device was installed on their wheelchair for 7 days. However, because the device was attached and removed at different times of the day, the first and last days of the study period were not analyzed. Therefore, a total of 5 days of data were used to investigate wheelchair activity.
Results:
Overall, the children who used manual wheelchairs traveled on an average of 1602.31 m/day (SD, 976.78) at a speed of 0.67 m/sec (SD, 0.12), and the children who used electric-powered wheelchairs drove 1752.42 m/day (SD, 835.14) at a speed of 0.75 m/sec (SD, 0.35). It was also calculated that the average daily number of starts/ stops per thousand meters the manual and electric-powered wheelchair users completed were 166.77 (SD, 64.32) and 112.53 (SD, 62.27), respectively. A comparison of mobility-related wheelchair activity revealed a significant (P = 0.008) difference in the average daily distance traveled between genders, with the boys traveling further than the girls.
Conclusions:
The mobility data obtained from the children wheelchair users suggest that one possible factor of variability among wheelchair activity is between genders. The data collected provide us with direction for future research in this area.
