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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the foot contact time differences between obese and nonobese
subjects during walking when crossing obstacles.
Methods: Ninety-eight postmenopausal women were assigned to four groups, and their plantar pressure
temporal data were collected using a two-step protocol during walking when crossing an obstacle
set at 30% height of lower limb length of each subject. The initial, final, and duration of contact
of 10 foot areas were measured.
Results: Leading limb: (1) the heel groups initiated foot contact using the heel, and the non-heel
groups initiated contact using the metatarsals; (2) heel obese subjects showed an earlier initial contact
and a longer contact duration of metatarsals 2–3; (3) non-heel obese subjects showed an earlier midfoot
initial contact. Regarding the trailing limb: (4) heel obese subjects showed an earlier midfoot initial
contact and a longer contact duration of metatarsal 5; (5) non-heel obese subjects showed an
earlier initial contact and a longer contact duration of metatarsals 4–5.
Conclusions: (1) The non-heel groups’ foot rollover pattern may result from an attempt of rapidly
restoring stability; (2) the heel obese subjects seem to regulate their plantar foot muscles to overcome
their overweight; (3) the overweight of the non-heel obese subjects leads to a quicker backward foot
roll-over from the metatarsals to the heel; (4) the overweight of the heel obese subjects can distort
their footprints and/or their higher inertia may precipitate an anticipation of the midfoot contact,
which can also explain the result observed for 5.
Description
Keywords
Adult Aged Biomechanical Phenomena Female Foot Humans Middle Aged Obesity Pressure Psychomotor Performance Time Factors Walking Postmenopause