Based on the linked source; automatically prepared and checked against the original report.
Study design
The study included 56 women: 36 aged 75 or older and 20 younger adults. Researchers assessed grip strength, mobility, balance and locomotive-syndrome stage, then tested manual-wheelchair operation with a 60-kilogram dummy across level and uneven surfaces.
Performance differences
Older participants showed poorer physical function and wheelchair-operating performance across most tasks. The tested activities included ascending slopes at normal and fast speeds, navigating side slopes, lifting front casters over a step and recovering a wheel. Overall, 22.2% of older adults could not lift the front casters over a 10-centimetre step.
Factors associated with performance
Among older participants, higher locomotive-syndrome stage was associated with poorer performance during normal- and fast-speed slope ascent and fast side-slope navigation. Weaker left-hand grip was also associated with poorer slope-ascent performance. No measured physical-function variable significantly predicted front-caster lifting or wheel-recovery performance. The authors said age-related mobility and upper-limb strength declines may compromise operation safety, while proposing training, instruction, assistive technologies, ergonomic wheelchair designs and barrier-free environments as possible supports.
