This research investigates on the "burden rate" of elderly pedestrians in street environments. We have focused and studied up on the presence of the rollator in conducting this research.
The follow-up survey was done to clarify the specific obstacles and conditions that elderly pedestrians encounter as they walk in the streets using their rollator. As the result, following conditions were found. [Viewing angle narrows down as they lean forward to balance one self.] [Hands are unavailable as they walk] [Walking speed decelerates at an upward slope.] [They must lift the front wheels to pass through a low step.] [They must carry the rollator at a high step.] Accordingly, we have extracted [Upward step] [Downward step] [Upward slope][Downward slope] [Crossing slope][Obstacle] [Roughness on the ground] as the obstacles of elderly pedestrians who use rollators.
The walk experiment and questionnaire results have allowed us to perceive each obstacles' feature based on the relation among speed rate, pulse rate and the utterance during the questionnaire. The results has proven that the rollator has caused higher "burden rate" than walking without it. Moreover, obstacles has also distracted the participants to balance at the crossings, slopes and steps. However, it is undeniable that the results were affected by the experimental conditions such as the fact that all research participants were to use the rollator for the first time.
The walk experiment and questionnaire results show that the steps has made the research participants feel concerned as the rollator gets caught by steps and force the participants to carry the rollator in the air. In the slopes, burden rate becomes much higher. Moreover, the participants felt “danger” and “fear” as they walk on crossing slope, upward slope and downward slope.
We made it clear from multivariate logistic regression that the burden of walking without rollator is caused by surrounding environment, such as street type and traffic volume. On the other hand, the burden caused by walking using the rollator are mostly obstacles, such as downward slope, crossing slope and step and surrounding environment.
We made it clear the physical condition of a person and the burden rate are interrelated. Research has also proven that the rollator functions effectively for the person who has low physical level. However, the lower their physical level, the more they feel the burden by obstacles.
抄録全体を表示