The effect of abnormal foot wear on postural stability

ABSTRACT

A brief review of the result of studies on the wearing of high heel shoes was presented. The primary objective of determining in a quantifiable manner; the effect of such shoes on the stability of the body during standing and walking was defined. With the use of a gravity reference goniometer values; in degrees; of the stability range of movement (SROM) were obtained from 23 undergraduate female students; in standing positions; under 2 conditions of experiment viz- (i) wearing of low heel shoes and (ii) wearing of high heel shoes. Inferential statistics were invoked to compare the scores of the SROM under these two conditions. Regression analysis was also used to determine the effect of anthropometric variables - of weight and height - on these scores. The results were discussed and the limitation of the study was spelt out. Proposals for public englightenment were suggested