Wheeling Efficiency: The Effects of Varying Tire Pressure With Children and Adolescents
By Sawatzky, Bonita J.; Denison, Ian; Pediatric Rehabilitation, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 122-126Publication Date: April-June 2006
Study conducted to evaluate changes in energy expenditure that related to decreased tire pressure among children who use wheelchairs. Ten children with a mean age of fourteen participated in the study, and completed four trials with varying tire pressures. Each trial lasted for a period of five minutes, as the participants propelled their wheelchairs at a constant, self-selected velocity. Heart rate and propulsion velocity were measured, while no change was found in wheeling velocity across changes in tire pressure. Energy expenditure, however, was found to increase over 15 percent with decreasing tire pressure. The authors conclude that in order for children to minimize their energy expenditure and improve their independence, clinicians and parents must strictly monitor wheelchair tire pressure. This study was conducted by researchers at the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of British Columbia, the Department of Orthopedics at British Columbia’s Children’s Hospital, and GF Strong Rehab Centre, all of which are located in Vancouver, Canada.
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Limited (Website:http://taylorandfrancis.org)
