This study aimed to reveal the perspectives of persons with hip fracture regarding their selection of walking options.
Convenience sampling was used as the sampling method. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted towards persons with hip fracture who were hospitalized in the convalescent rehabilitation ward at Yasu City Hospital. The interviews focused on participants’ preferences and reasons about walking options. They included questions about pre-injury walking and lifestyle, post-discharge walking options, and thoughts on each option. The data were analyzed using the steps for coding and theorization, devised by Takashi Otani. Subsequently, themes were identified inductively from the analysis results.
Nine participants (eight female and one male, 69 to 98 years old) were interviewed. Participants tended to select their walking options based on factors other than physical function. Additionally, participants made decisions about walking options both rationally and irrationally depending on the circumstances, not only in clinical decision-making situations, but also in their daily lives. The following four themes were identified from the analysis results.
1) Interaction with others: Participants considered how selecting a walking aid would be perceived by others, such as their family, friends, and neighbors, and how it would impact others’ behavior.
2) Influence of pre-injury life: They wanted to return to their normal way of walking, which they did before their injuries.
3) Consideration of specific aspects: Participants focused on specific aspects, such as appearance and weight, rather than overall advantages.
4) Desire for specific activities: Participants chose a walking aid based on a strong desire to perform a particular action, even if they knew it was risky.
This study identified four themes reflecting the perspectives of participants when selecting a walking option after hip fracture. These themes suggest that participants’ selections are influenced by their relationships with others and past experiences, and they may sometimes select irrational and risky options. These findings indicate that participants’ considerations may differ from the rational perspectives of therapists, which are based on quantitative and qualitative gait assessments. Since thematic saturation has not been confirmed in this study, further data collection and analysis may be necessary.
Therapists should understand the preferences and values of persons with hip fracture in clinical decision-making processes. The identified themes highlight key elements of their preferences and should be integrated into clinical decision-making processes.
walking option
older people
