Verification of prototype wearable device considering characteristics of elderly people for fall risk in home

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K15871
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Fundamental nursing
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Noto Hiroko 九州大学, 医学研究院, 講師 (40615910)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 村木 里志 九州大学, 芸術工学研究院, 教授 (70300473) ; 梶原 弘平 広島大学, 医系科学研究科(保), 助教 (10437626)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 高齢者 / 転倒リスク / 身体感覚 / 運動機能評価 / ウェアラブル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Initiatives to prevent falls in the elderly are important issues. Although various studies have been conducted such as fall risk assessment and enlightenment, at present, there is a need for an index that enables elderly people to evaluate their motor function and fall risk. In this study, we investigate the changes in body sensation and motor function recognition with aging, and the relationship between motor function recognition and fall history. Furthermore, from the results of the survey, we extracted the motions of elderly people who can evaluate motor function, and verified prototype wearable devices that can monitor daily activities. In addition, we investigated the behavioral characteristics that are the risk factors for falls from the activities of daily life.

Free Research Field

基礎看護学、人間工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

家庭内での転倒・転落リスクを感覚・動作・環境の側面から予測し、その未然防止に寄与するものであり、在宅高齢者の転倒事故予防対策として進歩が見込める研究である。高齢者の身体感覚という看護学の視点を中心に、人間工学・工学研究者と連携して行う学際的研究である。将来的には、啓蒙、セルフチェック、リハビリプログラム、住宅内環境調整、介護現場への実用化に結び付く。