Article 7 "Texting during stair negotiation and implications for fall risk"

Texting during stair negotiation and implications for fall risk

Walking requires the integration of the sensory and motor systems. Cognitive distractions have been shown to interfere with negotiation of complex walking environments, especially in populations at greater risk for falls (e.g. the elderly). With the pervasiveness of mobile messaging and the recent introduction of augmented reality mobile gaming, it is increasingly important to understand how distraction associated with the simultaneous use of a mobile device impacts navigation of the complex walking environments experienced in daily life.

Texting during stair negotiation results in changes to gait kinematics that may increase the potential for gait disruptions, falls, and injury. Further research should examine the effect texting has on performing other common complex locomotor tasks, actual fall risk, and the patterns of resulting injury rate and severity when negotiating complex environments.