Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2008 The Design and Assessment of a Soft Structural Prototype for Postural Alignment Lisa Barona Mcroberts Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HUMAN SCIENCES THE DESIGN AND ASSESSMENT OF A SOFT STRUCTURAL PROTOTYPE FOR POSTURAL ALIGNMENT By Lisa Barona McRoberts A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Textiles and Consumer Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2008 The members of the Committee approve the dissertation of Lisa Barona McRoberts defended on March 17, 2008. ____________________________________ Rinn M. Cloud Professor Directing Dissertation ____________________________________ Catherine Black Professor Co-Directing Dissertation ____________________________________ Thomas Ratliffe Outside Committee Member ____________________________________ Jeanne Heitmeyer Committee Member ____________________________________ Lynn Panton Committee Member Approved: _______________________________________________________ Barbara Dyer, Chair, Department of Textiles and Consumer Sciences _______________________________________________________ Billie J. Collier, Dean, College of Human Sciences The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii To Norman, NaNa, Tori, Neal and PaPa. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS With great appreciation and respect, the author wishes to thank Dr. Rinn Cloud and Dr. Catherine Black for serving as her major professors, mentors, and friends. Dr. Cloud recruited her to doctoral studies, guided her academic formation, and supported her endeavor throughout, donating countless hours outside of work. Dr. Catherine Black made a huge impact on her academic formation both as a student and instructor, while providing support and guidance throughout her original prototype development. She would also like to thank Dr. Tom Ratliffe, Dr. Lynn Panton, and Dr. Jeanne Heitmeyer for all of their assistance and support as committee members, as well as their flexibility in scheduling. Dr. Grace Namwamba and Dr. Devona Dixon provided guidance, hospitality, and support with the body scanner at Southern University. In addition, she would like to recognize Dr. Bonnie Belleau for encouraging and supporting her endeavor to and throughout graduate studies. Dr. Betsy Garrison, Dr. David C. Blouin, and Xiaoting Wang provided continuous statistical support with statistical analysis. Dr. Teresa Summers is recognized for serving as both an academic and entrepreneurship mentor. Yvonne Marquette Leak, Elva Bourgeois, Pamela Rabalais Vinci, Dr. Jenna Kuttruff, Dr. Pamela Monroe, Dr. James Garand, Dr. Kathleen Rees, Debbie Welker, and Dr. Ioan Negelescu are recognized for their contributions to the academic’s career. Yvonne Marquette Leak is further thanked for her undergraduate academic mentoring, especially her expertise in fit and couture techniques. Debbie Welker, Dr. Chuanlan Liu, Dr. Cyndi DeCarlo, and Dr. Loren Marks are thanked for their support, mentoring, and friendship as colleagues at Louisiana State University. The author would also like to thank the fabulous fifteen females that participated in the study. In addition, the author appreciates the continued love and support of her family. Her parents, Dr. Narses Barona and Mrs. Luz Marina Barona, are thanked for a lifetime of love, iv support, mentoring, and inspiration. Her husband, William Norman McRoberts, III, and children, Victoria Anne McRoberts and Neal Lane McRoberts, have all continuously supported and sacrificed throughout the academic’s career. In particular, her husband has generously given of his time to move to New York and Tallahassee for two years, and assist with many other responsibilities including serving as a research assistant. Her daughter, Victoria, has provided graphic design and publishing expertise. Her son, Neal, served as a research assistant throughout the study. Her accomplishment has been a team effort. In addition, the author appreciates her mother-in-law, Mrs. Melanie McRoberts, who provided frequent assistance, her sister-in-laws, Tanie Bush, and Mary Lea McRoberts Manning, and, her brother, Narses, who each provided support throughout the academic’s endeavor. Lastly, the author wishes to recognize the daily support and guidance of her loyal friends Jennifer Watson, Anne Davis, Anna Jacobs, Cindy Jacobs, Joe Jacobs, Don Bell, Terry Hughes, Lorye Watson, Charles Freeman, and Diana Sindicich. Dr. Gina Manguno-Mire and Dr. Ariana Wall are especially thanked for their academic support, guidance and friendship. Additionally, other dear friends are recognized for their contributions of love and support, Dana Berggreen, Jean Edwards, Liz Harris, Kevin Harris, Matt Hebert, Karla King, Don Cozine, Gilles Morin, Lori Robert, Roy Robert, Mary Lousteau, and Troy Lousteau, along with heartfelt gratitude for her original source of inspiration and continued affection, Denise and Dick Claflin. v TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION……………………………………….…………………………………………...iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………….……………………………... iv LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................................... x LIST OF FIGURES.......................................................................................................................xiii ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………..……....xiv CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................... 1 Purpose…………………………………...…………………………......………...……… 3 Objectives............................................................................................................................ 3 Development Objective..................................................................................................... 3 Testing Objectives............................................................................................................. 3 Hypotheses………………………………………………………………………………... 3 Research Questions……………………………………………………………………….. 5 Assumptions……………………………………………………………………...……..... 5 Limitations………………………………………………………….…………………...... 5 Definitions………………………………………………………………………………....6 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE…...…………………………………………………..….… 7 Functional Design Process………………………………………………..…………….… 7 Postural Alignment……………………………………………………........….………... 10 Importance of Proper Postural Alignment.……………………………………….……. 11 Definition of Postural Alignment…………….............……………………….……….. .11 Adverse Effects of Improper Postural Alignment........……………………….……….. 12 Current Corrective Approaches for Improper Posture..……………………….……….. 13 Need for Thoracic Support Research…………..............……………………….……… 15 Wearer Acceptability…………………………….......………………........….…………. 16 Comfort……………………………..............………………………........….…………. 17 Thermal comfort…………………................………………………........….…………. 18 Fit….......................………………................………………………........….…………. 18 Mobility..................………………................………………………........….………….20 Psychosocial Comfort........………................………………………........….…………. 21 Summary............................………................………………………........….…………. 22 3 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND PRELIMINARY WORK………………...…....23 Functional Design Process................................................................................................ 23 Preliminary Work............................................................................................................... 26 Market Analysis............................................................................................................... 26 Rigid Support Products.................................................................................................. 26 vi Semi-rigid Support Products.......................................................................................... 27 Non-rigid Support Products........................................................................................... 28 Informal Interviews.......................................................................................................... 30 Preliminary Prototype Development and Evaluations.................................................... 31 Fabrics............................................................................................................................. 31 Informal Postural Analysis.............................................................................................. 32 Preliminary Fit Assessment............................................................................................. 32 Construction of Prototypes................................................................................................ 33 Hypotheses and Rationale.................................................................................................. 33 Research Questions and Rationale for Psychosocial Comfort .......................................... 36 4 METHODS...........……………….……………………………………………………... 37 Design of the Study............................................................................................................ 37 Participant Selection.......................................................................................................... 37 Treatments: Support Products............................................................................................ 38 Sizes................................................................................................................................. 40 Order of Treatments......................................................................................................... 41 Wear Protocol………........................................................................................................ 43 Postural Alignment Effectiveness……………................................................................ 44 Wearer Acceptability....................................................................................................... 46 Thermal Comfort……………………………….............................................................46 Skin Temperature.......................................................................................................... 46 McGinnis Thermal Scale............................................................................................... 46 Fit………………………………………………............................................................. 47 Model Fit Evaluation Index........................................................................................... 48 Mobility........................................................................................................................... 48 Range of Motion…........................................................................................................ 48 Movement Assessment Scale……………………........................................................ 48 Psychosocial Questions…………………………………................................................ 48 Pilot Study……………………………...…………………............................................... 49 Data Analysis..................................................................................................................... 49 Independent and Dependent Variables............................................................................ 49 Statistical Analysis............................................................................................................. 52 Content Analysis................................................................................................................ 53 5 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION............……………….………………………………... 55 Sample……………............................................................................................................55 Hypothesis Testing……….................................................................................................59 Postural Alignment Effectiveness.................................................................................... 59 Body Scans………...……….........................................................................................59 Photographs.................................................................................................................. 61 A Priori Contrasts……………….............................................................................. 62 Discussion……………………….............................................................................. 63 Wearer Acceptability…………...………........................................................................ 64 A Priori Contrasts………………................................................................................66 Discussion………………………............................................................................... 66 vii Thermal Comfort…..…………...………........................................................................ 68 Skin Temperature……………...................................................................................... 68 A Priori Contrasts………………............................................................................... 70 Discussion………………………............................................................................... 70 McGinnis Thermal Scale…………….......................................................................... 71 Discussion………………………............................................................................... 72 Fit……………...…..…………...………......................................................................... 73 Static Tight-to-loose Fit……………............................................................................ 73 A Priori Contrasts………………............................................................................... 74 Discussion………………………............................................................................... 75 Static Fit Satisfaction ….…………….......................................................................... 75 Discussion………………………............................................................................... 77 Dynamic Tight-to-loose Fit…………….......................................................................77 A Priori Contrasts………………............................................................................... 79 Discussion………………………............................................................................... 80 Dynamic Fit Satisfaction ……………......................................................................... 80 A Priori Contrasts………………............................................................................... 81 Discussion………………………............................................................................... 82 Mobility……..…..…………...………............................................................................ 82 Range of Motion……………………........................................................................... 83 Discussion………………………............................................................................... 84 Ease of Movement……………………........................................................................... 84 Overall Mobility……………………........................................................................... 84 A Priori Contrasts………………................................................................................. 85 Ease of Individual Movements….……………............................................................ 86 A Priori Contrasts – typing movement…................................................................... 88 A Priori Contrasts – reaching forward movement…………….…............................. 89 A Priori Contrasts – raising arms to sides movement (abduction)............................. 90 A Priori Contrasts – turning torso movement………………..................................... 91 A Priori Contrasts – spreading arms movement…..................................................... 92 A Priori Contrasts – raising arms overhead movement…………….…..................... 93 Discussion………………………............................................................................... 95 Research Questions ..………............................................................................................. 95 Psychosocial Comfort………………………………….…………….......................... 95 Summary………………………………….……………............................................ 100 6 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS.......102 Summary……………...................................................................................................... 102 Conclusions………...………........................................................................................... 103 Recommendations for Prototype Improvements………..................................................104 Implications………...………...........................................................................................105 Future Studies……………………................................................................................ 105 viii APPENDIX 107 A Human Subjects Application - Florida State University………………………..............107 B Human Subjects Application - Louisiana State University............................................. 110 C Human Subjects Application - Southern University at Baton Rouge..………................ 114 D Consent Letter………….…………………………………………………………......... 116 E Consent Form………….…………………………………………………...................... 118 F Demographic Subject Information………….…………….............................................. 121 G New York Posture Rating Chart…………….................................................................. 123 H Wear Test Protocol.......................................….……..........……...…………..…........... 125 I Study Instruction Booklet….……................…………………….…………….............. 131 J Analysis of Variance for Individual Mobility Movements..........................................… 147 K Range of Motion Results Table….……................…………..……………………….... 150 L Frequencies of Participant Responses to Psychosocial Questions…………………...... 152 M Analysis of Prototype Bust Concerns for Participants..................................................... 155 References..………………………...……………….……………………………………… 157 Biographical Sketch………...……………………………………….…………................... 163 ix