{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/44316"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/44316","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The Effects of Age on Stress and The Biomechanics of Slips and Falls","abstract":"Research has shown that older adults who have experienced a previous fall are 60-70% more likely to suffer future falls. A study was conducted to investigate if stress and anxiety associated with a fear of falling contributes to the increased incidents of falls among older adults. The investigation compared physiological parameters, with biomechanical parameters of walking for twenty-eight participants in two age groups: (18-35) and (65 or older). Both age groups were evaluated while walking over dry and slippery floor surfaces. Biomechanical parameters included: step length, required coefficient of friction (RCOF), slip distance, and heel contact velocity. Physiological parameters included: stress and anxiety. Overall, the results indicated that there were differences between older and younger adult's biomechanical parameters of walking, and their physiological stress and anxiety associated with an inadvertent slip. Younger adult's normal RCOF was higher and their normal step length was longer compared to older adults. Older adult's stress level after a slip was significantly higher than younger adults. However, younger and older adult's anxiety scores were not significantly different. Furthermore, younger and older adults modified their step length differently to avoid slipping, when walking over the slippery floor surface. It was concluded that some anxiety and stress may be beneficial in reducing the occurrence of inadvertent slips and falls due to an increased awareness of one's external environment.","abstract_html":"Research has shown that older adults who have experienced a previous fall are 60-70% more likely to suffer future falls. A study was conducted to investigate if stress and anxiety associated with a fear of falling contributes to the increased incidents of falls among older adults. The investigation compared physiological parameters, with biomechanical parameters of walking for twenty-eight participants in two age groups: (18-35) and (65 or older). Both age groups were evaluated while walking over dry and slippery floor surfaces. Biomechanical parameters included: step length, required coefficient of friction (RCOF), slip distance, and heel contact velocity. Physiological parameters included: stress and anxiety. Overall, the results indicated that there were differences between older and younger adult's biomechanical parameters of walking, and their physiological stress and anxiety associated with an inadvertent slip. Younger adult's normal RCOF was higher and their normal step length was longer compared to older adults. Older adult's stress level after a slip was significantly higher than younger adults. However, younger and older adult's anxiety scores were not significantly different. Furthermore, younger and older adults modified their step length differently to avoid slipping, when walking over the slippery floor surface. It was concluded that some anxiety and stress may be beneficial in reducing the occurrence of inadvertent slips and falls due to an increased awareness of one's external environment.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Davis, Thomas Wayne"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Industrial and Systems Engineering","degree_department":"Industrial and Systems Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Lockhart, Thurmon E."],"committee_members":["Smith-Jackson, Tonya L.","Roberto, Karen A."],"year":2002,"date_issued":"2002-08-15","date_published":"2002-08-15","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:58Z","subjects":["Heel Contact Velocity","Stress","Required Coefficient of Friction","Anxiety","Step Length"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-08222002-112844"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-08222002-112844","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/44316","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Lockhart, Thurmon E."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Smith-Jackson, Tonya L.","Roberto, Karen A."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Industrial and Systems Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Davis, Thomas Wayne"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T21:43:07Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T21:43:07Z","2003-08-28"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2002-08-15"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Industrial and Systems Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Heel Contact Velocity","Stress","Required Coefficient of Friction","Anxiety","Step Length"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-08222002-112844"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/44316"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Research has shown that older adults who have experienced a previous fall are 60-70% more likely to suffer future falls. A study was conducted to investigate if stress and anxiety associated with a fear of falling contributes to the increased incidents of falls among older adults. The investigation compared physiological parameters, with biomechanical parameters of walking for twenty-eight participants in two age groups: (18-35) and (65 or older). Both age groups were evaluated while walking over dry and slippery floor surfaces. Biomechanical parameters included: step length, required coefficient of friction (RCOF), slip distance, and heel contact velocity. Physiological parameters included: stress and anxiety. Overall, the results indicated that there were differences between older and younger adult's biomechanical parameters of walking, and their physiological stress and anxiety associated with an inadvertent slip. Younger adult's normal RCOF was higher and their normal step length was longer compared to older adults. Older adult's stress level after a slip was significantly higher than younger adults. However, younger and older adult's anxiety scores were not significantly different. Furthermore, younger and older adults modified their step length differently to avoid slipping, when walking over the slippery floor surface. It was concluded that some anxiety and stress may be beneficial in reducing the occurrence of inadvertent slips and falls due to an increased awareness of one's external environment."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Effects of Age on Stress and The Biomechanics of Slips and Falls"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Lockhart, Thurmon E."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Smith-Jackson, Tonya L.","Roberto, Karen A."],"dc:contributor.department":["Industrial and Systems Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Davis, Thomas Wayne"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T21:43:07Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T21:43:07Z","2003-08-28"],"dc:date.issued":["2002-08-15"],"dc:description.abstract":["Research has shown that older adults who have experienced a previous fall are 60-70% more likely to suffer future falls. A study was conducted to investigate if stress and anxiety associated with a fear of falling contributes to the increased incidents of falls among older adults. The investigation compared physiological parameters, with biomechanical parameters of walking for twenty-eight participants in two age groups: (18-35) and (65 or older). Both age groups were evaluated while walking over dry and slippery floor surfaces. Biomechanical parameters included: step length, required coefficient of friction (RCOF), slip distance, and heel contact velocity. Physiological parameters included: stress and anxiety. Overall, the results indicated that there were differences between older and younger adult's biomechanical parameters of walking, and their physiological stress and anxiety associated with an inadvertent slip. Younger adult's normal RCOF was higher and their normal step length was longer compared to older adults. Older adult's stress level after a slip was significantly higher than younger adults. However, younger and older adult's anxiety scores were not significantly different. Furthermore, younger and older adults modified their step length differently to avoid slipping, when walking over the slippery floor surface. It was concluded that some anxiety and stress may be beneficial in reducing the occurrence of inadvertent slips and falls due to an increased awareness of one's external environment."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-08222002-112844"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/44316"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Heel Contact Velocity","Stress","Required Coefficient of Friction","Anxiety","Step Length"],"dc:title":["The Effects of Age on Stress and The Biomechanics of Slips and Falls"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Industrial and Systems Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:58Z"}