Fastener systems on apparel for hemiplegic stroke victims

Many stroke victims suffer hemiplegia. The type and location of apparel fasteners (e.g. buttons) are important to facilitate dressing for persons with hemiplegia. This study evaluated a series of garments with different fastener types and locations using hemiplegic subjects. The experimental design was a 3 x 3 + 1 factorial complete randomized block design with a control. Fastener type and location were independent variables. Dependent variables were: (1) time required to open and close the fasteners, (2) number of fasteners opened and closed, (3) and subjective responses to a questionnaire. The subjects for this study were ten stroke victims with hemiplegia. Results indicated significant differences for fastener type and location. These results should aid apparel manufacturers to provide more functional apparel for persons with hemiplegia due to stroke, as well as those responsible for selecting and/or helping to dress persons with hemiplegia due to stroke.