Finding a less tiring way for elders to carry emergency drinking water and developing new emergency water bags

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K10622
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 58080:Gerontological nursing and community health nursing-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Technology
• Principal Investigator: KUSAKA Satomi (上村さと美) 東京工科大学, 医療保健学部, 講師 (30433618)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 高橋 哲也 順天堂大学, 保健医療学部, 教授 (00461179)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 非常用給水袋 / 災害への備え / 高齢者 / 疲労管理

Outline of Final Research Achievements

When an early elderly woman with exercise habits carried an emergency water bag filled with 3 liters of water, which is recommended amount of water intake per day, in the hallway for the distance of 500 meters, the labor level (tiredness) was medium regardless of carrying method (on her back, with her hand, or on her shoulder). Also, when the woman carried 3 liters of water in different sized bags (3 liters, 6 liters, and 10 liters) with two carrying methods (on her back and with her hand), the movement of the water inside the water bag affected the carrier’s trunk motion on the horizontal plane for about 35 meters from the starting point.
The weight of things carried daily, the carrying distance, and the walking balance at the starting point of a carrier must be put into consideration when choosing the size of the water bag and the carrying method.

Free Research Field

高齢者のリハビリテーション、生活支援

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

災害発生後の断水に備えて、水を運搬する受ける側の備えについては、備蓄水の促しと水を運搬するための応急給水袋等の用具の備えの促しに留まっている。高齢化が進む中、高齢者の水運搬による疲労を明らかにし、実際に運搬できる容量や形状の応急給水袋などを準備しておくことや、備蓄水の量を調整することは災害発生後の高齢者の健康管理に重要である。
本研究成果の社会的意義は1日に必要とされる水3Lを運搬した時の疲労の程度を明らかにし、既存の「災害への備え」の冊子を使い、個別に高齢者に備えの助言が行える。