Development of a Comfort Model for Cricket Leg Guards (P9)

Abstract

Within sport, personal protective equipment (PPE) is becoming increasingly important due to the intense schedules of sports performers and the cost of injury. Traditional PPE often restricts the movement of the user and is uncomfortable to wear because it is usually cumbersome, heavy, and ill-fitting. As a result, wearing PPE has been found to adversely effect both cognitive and physical performance, as well as having a detrimental affect on players’ well being (Fox et al., 1966, Adams and Keyserling, 1996). Comfort and fit are, therefore, considered important factors in the design of PPE. The majority of research within PPE has focused on the prevention of injury through mechanical impact tests, neglecting psychological factors such as comfort. Using cricket leg guards as an example, the aim of this study is to develop a better understanding of factors influencing players’ perceptions of comfort and performance so that, in future, products can be developed that are more suitable for the user. In this study, three methods were used to elicit players’ perceptions of cricket pads; these were co-discovery, focus groups following practical testing, and interviews. Twenty one cricketers currently playing at county first or second team level, participated in testing six different pads, covering a range of styles. Once the testing was complete the data was transcribed and the specific characteristics of PPE which influence and determine comfort emerged through using an inductive analysis. This analysis procedure allows the characteristics of importance to the player emerge from the data rather than from previous literature, which is beneficial in exploratory research. From the analysis six main themes were identified — protection, aesthetics, sensorial comfort, thermal comfort, weight and fit. The knowledge gained can be used in this, and future, projects to develop better product design specifications and to evaluate PPE.