Abstract
[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of changing the height of a stool on leg load during sit-to-stand motion in the third trimester. [Subjects] The subjects were eight healthy pregnant women and eight healthy non-pregnant women 20–30 years of age. [Methods] We measured the sit-to-stand motion from 400- and 450-mm high stools using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. [Results] Using the higher stool, the knee joint extension moment significantly decreased in both pregnant and non-pregnant women. For the non-pregnant women, the vertical floor reaction force significantly decreased when using the higher stool, but there was no significant difference for the pregnant women. There was no significant difference in Borg scale scores for the pregnant women between the two stool heights. [Conclusion] The results of the present study suggest that a higher stool height does not make standing up easier for pregnant women in their third trimester.
