Document Type : Original Articles
Authors
1 Orthotics and Prosthesis Department, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
2 Physical Therapy Department, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
3 Rehabilitation and Exercise Science Department, School of Sport, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
Abstract
Background: Despite the importance of investigating the effect of night shift on gait kinematics of nurses, literature lacks evidences to evaluate this relationship. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to compare gait kinematics among day and night shift nurses.
Methods: Participants (N = 31) of this cross-sectional study were female nurses aged 27-47 years old working at night (N=16) and day shifts (N=15). A Qualisys motion analysis system with 8 high-speed cameras was utilized to record the motion of the body segments during walking. The spatiotemporal characteristics of gait (stride length, walking velocity, and cadence), kinematics of the ankle, knee, hip, pelvic, and trunk, were the parameters selected for statistical analysis. Dynamic stability while walking was assessed by simple measurement of center of mass movements (COM).
Results: The difference between the mean values of spatiotemporal gait parameters of the nurses worked in day and night shifts was not meaningful. Moreover, the difference between mean values of range of motions of the lower extremity joints and pelvic and trunk segments during the stance phase of the gait were not significant between both groups. As a measure of dynamic stability, COM movement in mediolateral direction was significantly different between both groups.
Conclusion: No difference was found between spatiotemporal gait parameters, dynamic stability in vertical direction, and joints range of motion (ROM) of the nurses working during day and night. Therefore, the results of the present study suggested that working in the night shift does not change the biomechanical gait patterns of nurses.
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