Mobile Phone Use during Gait: The Role of Perceived Prioritization and Executive Control.

Tal Krasovsky,Yasmin Felberbaum,Joel Lanir,Rachel Kizony

doi:10.3390/ijerph18168637

Tal Krasovsky, Yasmin Felberbaum + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168637

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Abstract

(1) Background: Mobile phone use during gait is associated with adverse health outcomes, namely increased risk of pedestrian injury. Healthy individuals can voluntarily prioritize concurrent task performance, but the factors underlying the impact of phone use during walking remain largely unknown. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the relationship between subjective (perceived) prioritization, cognitive flexibility and dual-task performance when using a mobile phone during walking. (2) Methods: Thirty young participants walked for one minute with and without reading or texting on a mobile phone, as well as reading or texting while sitting. Walking performance (kinematics) was recorded, as well as phone use (text comprehension, text read/written), mental workload, perceived prioritization (visual analog scale), and cognitive flexibility (trail-making test). (3) Results: Texting while walking was associated with larger decreases in gait speed, larger gait variability, higher mental workload, and lower text comprehension compared to reading. Perceived prioritization was associated with walking dual-task costs (DTCs) (r = 0.39–0.42, p < 0.04) when texting, and better cognitive flexibility was associated with lower gait DTCs when texting (r = 0.55, p = 0.002) but not reading. (4) Conclusions: The context-dependent link between perceived prioritization, cognitive flexibility, and walking DTCs promotes our understanding of the factors underlying texting-while-walking performance. This could identify individuals who are more prone to dual-task interference in this increasingly common and dangerous task.

Highlights

Recent technological developments, the proliferation of mobile phone use among people of all ages, have created an increasing competition for the attentional resources of individuals while walking [1,2]
There was no difference in task workload for reading or texting while sitting, but when walking, texting was associated with a higher task workload than reading (Z = −2.55, p = 0.011, η 2 = 0.22)
The current work confirms that texting while walking results in higher gait dual-task costs (DTCs) compared to reading, as demonstrated, amongst others, by decreased gait stability and text comprehension

Summary

Introduction

The proliferation of mobile phone use among people of all ages, have created an increasing competition for the attentional resources of individuals while walking [1,2]. A myriad of factors may be associated with the impact of mobile phones on walking performance. As is the case with other activities concurrent with walking (i.e., performed simultaneously) [9], using a mobile phone while walking decreases the performance of both texting and walking. These decreases in performance may affect the stability of gait (e.g., increased gait variability during dual-tasking) [12]. Research is beginning to explore the factors underlying these decreases, the degree to which the level of

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