Background

Grab bars are a common fall prevention strategy in the bathroom, but biomechanical data are lacking to support clinicians' interventions. This study aims to determine the magnitude and duration of the force applied to four grab bar configurations during complete bathtub transfers on a potentially slippery surface.

Methods

A three factorial repeated measures design was used in an experimental environment including a bathtub, padded walls, instrumented fixed grab bars and a safety harness. Seven healthy young adults stepped into the bathtub, sat down at the bottom, stood up and stepped out (three trials), with or without a slippery surface, grabbing onto four grab bar configurations (vertical, angled, horizontal low, horizontal high). Maximum force magnitudes and durations during bathtub transfers were measured by two 6-degrees of freedom load cells.

Findings

On average, 23.2 ± 6.4% of body weight was applied on the grab bar during complete bathtub transfers. Maximum resultant forces were not influenced by grab bar configuration, presence of a slippery surface, or direction of bathtub transfer (entrance or exit), except for the vertical configuration without a slippery surface where the maximum resultant force was smaller than for the three other configurations. Transferring on a slippery surface increased the time participants applied force on the grab bars.

Interpretation

Grab bars used during complete bathtub transfers with no loss of balance should be capable of sustaining a minimum of 23.2% of body weight, to which a factor of safety of 1.5 should be added, regardless of the grab bar configuration.

中文翻译：

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浴缸转移过程中施加在扶手上的力。

背景

抓斗杆是浴室中常见的防摔策略，但缺乏生物力学数据来支持临床医生的干预措施。这项研究的目的是确定在潜在的光滑表面上完整的浴缸转移过程中，四个抓杆配置所施加的力的大小和持续时间。

方法

在实验环境中使用了三因子重复测量设计，包括浴缸，软垫墙，仪表固定的扶手和安全带。七个健康的年轻人走进浴缸，在地板上坐下，站起来并退出（三项试验），无论表面有没有滑，都抓住了四种抓杆配置（垂直，倾斜，水平低，水平高）。浴缸移送过程中的最大力量大小和持续时间由两个6自由度测力传感器测量。

发现

在完整的浴缸移送过程中，平均将23.2±6.4％的体重施加在扶手上。最大合力不受抓杆配置，光滑表面的存在或浴缸转移方向（进入或离开）的影响，除了没有光滑表面的垂直配置外，其最大合力小于其他三种配置。在光滑的表面上转移会增加参与者在扶手上施加力的时间。

解释

完整的浴缸移送过程中使用的抓手杆应无平衡损失，至少应保持23.2％的体重，无论抓手杆的配置如何，均应添加1.5的安全系数。