banner.jpg Handrail Height and Size for Elderly Thai People P. Jongkol1, N. Charoenchai2 and W. Nutkhum1 1School of Industrial Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand . 2Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand ABSTRACT

The objectives of this study were to measure body dimensions of the elderly in Nakhon Ratchasima province and to investigate their preferred height of and size of handrails. Four hundred subjects, 195 males and 205 females participated in the study. The average age of the participants was 69.52 years old. The instruments used were questionnaires regarding facilities needed in daily activities, measuring tapes, and anthropometers. Anthropometric data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software to determine mean, standard deviations, and percentile. The results showed that the average statures were 159.05 and 149.94 cm for males and females, respectively. The most preferred handrail height is 80 cm and the most preferred handrail size is 3 cm. Elbow height has a strong relationship with preferred handrail height, whereas hand length has a strong relationship with preferred handrail size.

Keywords: Elderly, Handrail Height, Handrail Size.

pdflogo.jpg 029