Skervin Timmion K, Ellmers Toby J, Kal Elmar C, Young William R, Walker Rebecca L, Wharton Emily, Thomas Neil M, Maganaris Constantinos N, Hollands Mark A, Foster Richard J
Faculty of Science, Research to Improve Stair Climbing Safety (RISCS), School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2025 May 22;20(5):e0324333. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0324333. eCollection 2025.
Facemasks are worn in many industries to protect from infections and harmful substances. Asian countries historically have a wide adoption of facemasks; though due to the COVID-19 pandemic, facemask wearing is also common in western countries. The lower visual field provides important information for safe stair negotiation. A loose fit facemask may obstruct the lower visual field and negatively affect stair negotiation. Pinching a facemask nose clip provides contour around the nose which may reduce lower visual occlusion and negative stair behaviour effects. Here, we explored the effect of wearing a Type IIR facemask and nose clip pinch adjustment on lower visual field occlusion and stair walking behaviour.
Eight young adults ascended and descended stairs with; 1) no facemask, 2) unadjusted facemask, 3) customised facemask (nose clip pinched). Measurements included peak head flexion, lower visual field occlusion, stair duration, foot clearance, foot placement, margins of stability, Conscious Movement Processing and anxiety.
Unadjusted increased lower visual occlusion during descent (unadjusted = 32° ± 14° vs no facemask = 11° ± 14°, p < 0.001), (unadjusted vs customised = 21° ± 15°, p = 0.009) and ascent (unadjusted = 47° ± 12° vs no facemask = 25° ± 11°, p < 0.001), (unadjusted vs customised = 35° ± 11°, p = 0.005). Unadjusted increased conscious movement processing during descent (unadjusted = 16 ± 5 vs no face mask 11 ± 4, p = 0.040) and ascent (unadjusted = 16 ± 5 vs no face mask = 10 ± 3, p = 0.044). Bayesian inference indicated moderate evidence for the alternative hypothesis for descent duration, peak head flexion and anxiety. Anecdotal and strong evidence for the alternative hypothesis were found for ascent duration and anxiety respectively. No differences were found in foot kinematics or margins of stability.
Simple adjustments (pinching the nose clip) to a Type IIR facemask have the benefit of reducing the lower visual field occlusion an unadjusted mask creates, and helps improve stair safety characteristics in young adults.
许多行业都使用口罩来预防感染和有害物质。历史上，亚洲国家广泛使用口罩；不过由于新冠疫情，西方国家戴口罩也很普遍。较低的视野为安全上下楼梯提供重要信息。佩戴宽松的口罩可能会遮挡较低的视野，对上下楼梯产生负面影响。捏紧口罩鼻夹可使鼻子周围形成轮廓，这可能会减少较低视野的遮挡以及对上下楼梯行为的负面影响。在此，我们探讨了佩戴IIR型口罩和调整鼻夹捏合度对较低视野遮挡和上下楼梯行为的影响。
八名年轻人上下楼梯时分别处于以下三种状态：1）不戴口罩；2）佩戴未调整的口罩；3）佩戴定制口罩（捏紧鼻夹）。测量指标包括头部最大前屈角度、较低视野遮挡、上下楼梯时长、脚部净空、脚部着地位置、稳定边缘、有意识运动处理能力和焦虑程度。
在下行过程中，未调整的口罩增加了较低视野的遮挡（未调整时为32°±14°，不戴口罩时为11°±14°，p<0.001），（未调整与定制相比为21°±15°，p=0.009）；在上行过程中同样如此（未调整时为47°±12°，不戴口罩时为25°±11°，p<0.001），（未调整与定制相比为35°±11°，p=0.005）。在下行过程中，未调整的口罩增加了有意识运动处理能力（未调整时为16±5，不戴口罩时为11±4，p=0.040），在上行过程中也是如此（未调整时为16±5，不戴口罩时为10±3，p=0.044）。贝叶斯推断表明，对于下行时长、头部最大前屈角度和焦虑程度的备择假设存在中等证据。对于上行时长和焦虑程度，分别发现了轶事证据和有力证据支持备择假设。在脚部运动学或稳定边缘方面未发现差异。
对IIR型口罩进行简单调整（捏紧鼻夹）有助于减少未调整口罩造成的较低视野遮挡，并有助于改善年轻人上下楼梯的安全特性。
