TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2021//
TI  - The effects of firefighter equipment and gear on the static and dynamic postural stability of fire cadets
JO  - Gait and posture
A1  - Kollock, Roger
A1  - Thomas, Jacob
A1  - Hale, Davis
A1  - Sanders, Gabriel
A1  - Long, Alex
A1  - Dawes, Jay
A1  - Peveler, Will
SP  - 292
EP  - 296
VL  - 88
IS  - 
N2  - BACKGROUND: Slips, trips, falls, and jumps were the second leading cause of injuries at the fireground. RESEARCH QUESTION: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of firefighter equipment and gear (EQG) on postural stability and determine if load per kg of body mass (L/BM) is associated with postural stability. <br><br>METHODS: 26 male fire cadets (26.15 ± 4.16 yr., 178.92 ± 6.92 cm, 86.61 ± 9.09 kg) were included in the analyses. Participants performed 3 single-leg landings (SLL) with and without EQG. The first 3 seconds of ground reaction forces following initial ground contact were used to calculate dynamic postural stability index (DPSI). Participants completed 2 static balance tasks (normal stability and limits of stability (LoS)) with and without EQG. Main outcome measures were overall LoS score (LoSS), direction-specific LoSS, and LoS distance (cm) of COP excursion (LoSD) in the anterior, posterior, right, and left directions. Separate paired-samples t-tests were run to determine the differences between load conditions for DPSI, overall LoSS, direction-specific LoSS, and LoSD in all directions. Bivariate correlations were conducted to determine the relationship of L/BM to DPSI, overall LoSS, and LoSS and LoSD in the anterior, posterior, right and left directions. <br><br>RESULTS: Due to the use of multiple statistical tests, a Bonferroni correction was used, and the alpha level of.05 was adjusted to.005. DPSI was significantly higher loaded than unloaded, t(25) = -13.965, p < .001, d = 7.032, 95% CI, -0.133 to -0.099. No other comparisons were significant. A significant strong positive correlation (r(24) = .665, p < .001) was observed between L/BM and DPSI. No other correlations were significant. SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrates that firefighter EQG may significantly impact a cadet's ability to maintain postural stability while performing their duties.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0966-6362
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2021.05.034
ID  - ref1
ER  -