title: A kinetic comparison of back-loading and head-loading in Xhosa women.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare the kinetic responses associated with ground reaction force measurements to both head-loading and back-loading in a group of Xhosa women. Altogether, 16 women were divided into two groups based on their experience of head-loading. They walked over a force plate in three conditions: unloaded or carrying 20 kg in either a backpack or on their head. The most striking finding was that there was no difference in kinetic response to head-loading as a consequence of previous experience. Considering the differences between the load carriage methods, most changes were consistent with increasing load. Head-loading was, however, associated with a shorter contact time, smaller thrust maximum and greater vertical force minimum than back-loading. Both loading conditions differed from unloaded walking for a number of temporal variables associated with the ground contact phase, e.g. vertical impact peak was delayed whilst vertical thrust maximum occurred earlier. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: Consideration of the kinetics of head and back load carriage in African women is important from a health and safety perspective, providing an understanding of the mechanical adaptations associated with both forms of load carriage for a group of people for whom such load carriage is a daily necessity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Abertay Dundee, UK. r.lloyd@abertay.ac.uk
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Parr
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cooke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001415:Back / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D009333:Neck / Q000502:physiology*; D013019:South Africa; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult