# Ladder Use Ability, Behavior and Exposure by Age and Gender

## TL;DR

This study compares how younger and older men and women use ladders, finding that older adults take longer and men take more risks, which may explain higher fall rates.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into age- and gender-specific ladder use behaviors and their relation to fall risks.

## Key findings

- Older adults require more time to complete ladder tasks.
- Men are more willing to climb riskier ladders than women.
- Older adults report more frequent ladder use than younger adults.

## Abstract

This study aimed to quantify and compare ladder use ability and behavior in younger and older men and women from three ladder use behavior experiments. The experimental tasks comprised (1) changing a lightbulb on a household stepladder under two cognitive demands (single and dual task), (2) clearing a simulated roof gutter on a straight ladder and (3) querying ladder choice in different exigency scenarios. Ladder use ability and behavior data were captured from recorded time, performance, motion capture and user choice data. In addition, this study surveyed ladder use frequency and habitual behaviors. The experimental findings indicate that older adults require more time to complete ladder tasks; younger adults display riskier ladder use behaviors; men and women display similar ladder use ability; and men are more willing to climb riskier ladders. The survey found older adults to report more frequent ladder use than younger adults, and men use straight ladders more frequently than women. These results suggest that the reported higher ladder fall rates experienced by older adults and men are linked to increased ladder use exposure and riskier ladder choice. This knowledge can help guide population-specific interventions to reduce ladder falls in both young and older people.