• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.119-126
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• 2019

The active living of the elderly leads to improve their lives and enhance social networks. In the view of the active living, the walkability is an essential factor for the elderly's daily life. To support the active living, making age-friendly environment is important. Considering that the elderly mainly carry out activities through walking, making the age-friendly walking environment is a preliminary action. The existing studies applied various methods such as surveys by experts. In spite of the benefits in theirs, there is still a limitation that current walkability measurement methods did not incorporate the actual elderly's walking activity. Thus, the purposes of this study is to measure the elderly's walking quantitatively using a wearable sensor, and to investigate the feasibility of comparing several walking environments based on the data collected from the actual elderly's walking. To do this, experiment was conducted in four types environments with 22 senior subjects. The walkability was measured by walking stability represented quantitatively as Maximum Lyapunov Exponent (MaxLE). Through the experiment results, it was confirmed that the stability of the elderly walking was different according to the walking environment, which also meant that bodily responses (walking stability) is highly related to walkability. The results will provide an opportunity for the continuous diagnosis of walking environments, thereby enhancing the active living of the elderly.

• The Journal of the Society of Korean Medicine Diagnostics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.241-252
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• 2013

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of walking exercise on diabetes mellitus indicator and vascular compliance of type 2 diabetes mellitus adults. Methods The subjects were 2 groups; exercise group(n=11, $age=57.36{\pm}8.74$), non-exercise group(n=10, $age=59.20{\pm}5.81$). Walking exercise five or more times a week, and more than 10,000 steps per day with writing the walking diary ordered to the exercise group. For date analysis, mean and standard deviation scores were calculated, and independent t-test was performed. Result After 45 days of walking exercise, weight (p <.01), abdominal obesity rate (p <.05), body fat mass (p <.05) showed significant difference between the groups. but diabetes indicators and vascular compliance tend to decreased in the exercise group, there was no significant difference between the groups. Conclusions Walking exercise is effective in improving body composition.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2664-2671
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• 2012

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical characteristics and walking ability in the elderly population. Subjects were 77 elderly (38 men and 39 women) who are capable of walking independently with and without walking aids. Correlation and stepwise multiple linear regression analyses were used to analyze the relationship between physical characteristics (age, gender, height, weight, body mass index, muscle mass, waist/hip ratio, heart rate, vital capacity, flexibility, maximum oxygen consumption, one-leg standing time, and strength of knee flexor and extensor) and walking velocity of subjects. Age, height, vital capacity, one-leg standing time, and strength of knee flexor and extensor showed significant correlations with walking velocity of subjects (p<.05). Further, the strength of knee flexor explained 27% of the variance, and up to 32% of the walking velocity could be explained when the strength of knee extensor were added to the model. The findings suggest that walking velocity of elderly depends on the strength of lower limb's strength and a variety of physical characteristics.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Health Science
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.816-824
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• 2017

Purpose. This study was classified into normal and demented elderly through K-MMSE. The purpose of this study was to analyze gait characteristics of normal elderly and demented peoples using GAITRite walking system. Methods. The subjects of this study were selected as elderly people receiving home visit physical therapy. An independent t-test was conducted to verify the statistical significance of the time-space variables of the elderly with dementia. Results. Step time(p=0.041), cycle time(p=0.037), distance(p=0.024), and cadence(p=0.048) were significantly shorter in the normal elderly than in the demented elderly on flat place. The mean age was significantly longer in normal elderly than in elderly persons with dementia. Step time(p=0.022), cycle time(p=0.023), distance(p=0.019), and cadence(p=0.015) were significantly shorter in the mat walking. The mean age was significantly longer in normal elderly than in elderly patients with dementia. Stretch time, cycle time, distance, and hair support time were significantly shorter in the mat walking. The mean age of the elderly was significantly longer than that of the elderly with dementia. The spinal support time, which is a spatial variable, was significantly shorter in the normal elderly than in the demented elderly. Conclusions. It compares the various gait characteristics of the normal and demented elderly people, thereby increasing the walking ability of the elderly person more effectively. This study should be utilized as basic data for preventing fall-down.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.365-372
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• 2010

The purpose of this study were to analyze the changes in kinematic and kinetic parameters and to find biomechanical benefits of Nordic Walking and normal gait performed under the same velocity. Nine participants(age: $26.73{\pm}3.28$ year, height: $182.45{\pm}4.62\;cm$, weight: $76.59{\pm}6.84\;kg$) was chosen. The velocity of gait was set by 5.75 km/h which was made by a Nordic Walking professional. The data were collected by using VICON with 8 cameras to analyze kinematic variables with 200 Hz and force platform to analyze kinetic variables with 2000 Hz. The results of this study were as follows. First, when compared with Normal gait, Nordic Walking group showed decreased Plantarflexion angle and ROM. Second, Nordic Walking group showed decreased knee flexion angle and ROM. Third, Nordic Walking group showed increased hip joint movement. Fourth, Nordic Walking group showed higher active GRF but decreased loading rate from delayed Peak Vertical GRF time and increased impulse. Fifth, Nordic Walking group showed longer ground contact time. Through this study, we found that Nordic Walking showed higher stability and efficiency during gait than normal gait and that Nordic Walking may help people who have walking difficulties.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.49-53
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• 2018

Objective: This study was performed to examine differences in the association between straight and curved walking abilities of inpatients in the subacute phase and walking independence level. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Subjects were divided into an independent group and a supervised group (n=10 each) by walking independence level within the ward decided by physical therapists. Inclusion criteria comprised the ability to ambulate independently within the ward, regardless of the use of walking aids. Straight walking abilities (walking velocity, stride length, and cadence) were evaluated using the 5-meter walk test. Curved walking abilities were evaluated using the Figure-of-8 Walk Test (F8W) and the 3-meter zigzag walk test (3ZW). Differences in associations between straight and curved walking abilities of inpatients were examined by calculating correlation coefficients between straight and curved walking abilities. Results: Age, walking velocity, stride length, F8W and 3ZW varied markedly between independent and supervised groups. In the independent group, F8W and 3ZW correlated significantly with walking velocity and cadence (p<0.05). In the supervised group, F8W correlated significantly with walking velocity and stride length (p<0.05), but 3ZW did not correlate significantly with straight walking abilities. Conclusions: The association between straight and curved walking abilities varied between inpatients who could ambulate independently and inpatients requiring supervision for ambulating. These differences may depend on skill on straight and curved walking abilities. There is a possibility that curved walking exercise is necessary for supervised group.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.613-619
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• 2013

This study compares the gait characteristics of elderly women during barefoot walking and walking with sneakers. We measured foot angles, max foot pressure, peak plantar pressure of each plantar region, velocity of Center of Pressure(COP), and axis shifting of COP with an RS-scan system. Elderly women's foot angles were narrower when walking with sneakers than when barefoot walking. We found that the subtalar joint angle (representing ankle joint flexibility) affected walking stability. Regarding the peak plantar pressure of each foot region, pressures were high in the medial regions and the pressures greatly varied depending on the region measured during barefoot walking. The COP moved significantly faster when walking with sneakers than barefoot walking and suggests that elderly women walked faster in sneakers. Axis shifting of the COP decreased during walking with sneakers and indicated that gait balance improved when walking with sneakers. The findings of the present study can be utilized as foundational data for elderly women's gait characteristics as well as data for the production of functional footwear. Future research that focuses on various types of shoes, age groups, and gender are recommended for the development of more functional footwear for stable gaits.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.132-138
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• 2019

Fall accident is the most frequent accident type of occupational accidents. As the age of workers increases, trip and fall accident increases more than other types of occupational accident in the middle-aged group. In this study, the gait characteristics of 25 middle-aged participants (mean ages 47.4, S.D. 5.8) were studied to analyze the trip and fall risks. The Minimum toe clearance(MTC) against the floor surface was measured in the variable conditions of gait speed by a motion capture system. In the 50s age group, the MTC decreased and the MTC tended to reduce the variation with increasing walking speed in the level walking. Therefore, the trip and fall risks for the 50s age group is higher than the 40s age group. Especially, the faster walking speed will increase the trip and fall risks even more.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.12 no.12
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• pp.643-650
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to research the effect of walking exercise with acaiberry ingestion for 8 weeks on inflammatory markers of middle age women. The participators were aging from 40 to 50 aging healthy women. The first group is classified to ingest acaiberry(AB), the second group is classified to walking exercise with acaiberry ingestion(WE+AB), and third group is classified to just walking exercise(WE). The program was doing walking exercise 3 times per week for 8 weeks. Acaiberry ingestion is after walking exercise for 8 weeks. The amount of the acaiberry is 5g acaiberry dilutes with 100mg water to inhale before breakfast and dinner to monitor CRP of each group before ingest acaiberry and 8 weeks later how to change CRP and cardiovascular disease. Consequently, all of three groups such as: acaiberry ingestion group, walking exercise with acaiberry ingestion group, and just walking exercise group, has positive effect with WBC(white blood cell), Albumin, ESR(erythrocyte sedimentation rate), CRP(C-reactive protein), but Albumin increases very small amount of gaze. Therefore, this study has no longer period time for research, and in the future there should be more concrete and various studies, such as adding more exercise of method, intensity, and measure of ingestion for supporting this study.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.11-20
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• 2007

The purpose of this study were to analysis on quality properties of lower extremity of patient with stroke by the existence of the independent walking. We recruited fourteen adults after stroke(7 male, 7 female; mean age, 64y) for our study. The subjects were divided into two groups; independent walking group(3 male, 3 female) and non-independent walking group(4 male, 4 female). We used in this study included a B-mode ultrasonography scanner with a 7.5 MHz linea probe. During the experiment, the subject was seated in the chair. The echogenicity(density, white area index; WAI) of the tibialis anterior and rectus femoris muscles were measured on both sides of the leg. In both of the density and WAI, the tibialis anterior muscle were significant differences between paratic side and non-paratic side, the independent walking and non-independent walking group. However, in both of the density and WAI of the rectus femoris muscle were only significant differences between paratic side and non-paratic side. This study showed that stroke and the independent walking have influenced on quality properties of lower leg. Especially, the independent walking has influenced on the tibialis anterior muscle.