Study finds women are less likely to use walking sticks over fears of social stigma
Women are more likely to need walking sticks than men – but are less inclined to use them, according to a new study by researchers from University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Researchers also found that single people are more likely to rely on sticks and other mobility aids compared to those who are married.
The team from University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine looked at information from a group of more than 12,000 adults in England aged 50 to 89 who were tracked over a 13-year period.
At the start of the study, 8,225 adults had no mobility difficulty and did not use mobility assistive products (MAPs). Some 2,480 were deemed to have ‘unmet need’ and 1,375 were using mobility aids.
During the follow-up period, there were 2,313 “transitions” where people went from having no mobility issues to needing some help with getting around. Meanwhile, 1,274 people started to use mobility aids.
Compared with men, women were 49 per cent more likely to transition from not needing mobility aids to needing to use them, according to the study which was published in The Lancet Public Health, but were 21 per cent less likely to go on to use mobility aids when they needed them.
The authors said their study showed barriers to access for women, while ‘social stigma’ was also raised as a potential issue.
Jamie Danemayer, first author of the study from UCL said: “Our analysis suggests that there is a clear gender gap in access to mobility aids. He said: ‘Though our data didn’t ascertain the reason why participants weren’t using mobility aids, other research tells us that women are often more likely than men to face obstacles such as cost barriers as a result of well-documented income disparities between genders.
“Many mobility aids are designed for men rather than women, which we think may be a factor. Using mobility aids can also make a disability visible, which can impact the safety and stigma experienced by women, in particular.
“There’s a critical need for further research to identify and break down the barriers preventing women from accessing mobility aids that would improve their quality of life.”
Women are more prone to joint problems than men, particularly after menopause when estrogen levels drop putting them at greater risk of conditions like arthritis.
Women’s joints are more elastic and prone to injury because they were designed for childbirth, other studies have shown. For both men and women, with every year that passed during the study period the need for mobility aids increased.
People who were older, less educated, less wealthy or reported being disabled were more likely to ‘transition from no need to unmet need, and from unmet need to use’, the authors said, with this indicating a ‘higher prevalence of mobility limitations and MAP need overall among these groups’.
Professor Cathy Holloway, also from UCL, added: “Not having access to mobility aids when a person needs one can have a big impact on their independence, well-being and quality of life.
“Our analysis suggests that women, in particular, regardless of other factors such as education and employment status, are not getting the support that they need.”
Professor Shereen Hussein, senior author of the study and lead of the social care group at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “The research provides compelling evidence of gender disparities in accessing assistive technology, suggesting that cost, design bias, and social stigma are likely to disproportionally affect women.
“This underscores the need for inclusive, gender-sensitive approaches in the design, production and inclusivity of assistive technologies.”
