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Multitasking could be the cause of young women falling down stairs more often than men, as research shows they are 80% more likely to be injured after a fall
Women may be better at multitasking than men, but that trait may put them at a higher risk of falling down the stairs.
Research suggests that young women are about 80 percent more likely to be injured after falling down stairs than young men.
Now a study could explain why this is the case.
Researchers who filmed 2,400 adults under 40 walking down two flights of stairs found that women were more likely to engage in conversation with someone, which could distract them from watching their steps.
They were also more likely to multitask by holding onto something, such as a coffee, a bag, or a piece of clothing, that would make it more difficult to grab the railing if they tripped.
And to make matters worse, women were more likely to wear impractical footwear, such as high heels or sandals.
Research found that women were more likely to talk to someone when they were walking down the stairs
The study found that young children, the over-85s and adults in their 20s are the most likely to fall
The US researchers, led by Purdue University in Indiana, said: ‘The young women we observed engaged in more risk-taking behaviors than the young men.
“Future studies should also examine physiological differences that may lead to greater injury risk, such as differences in strength or reaction time.”
The study, published in the journal PLOS One, found that 70 percent of the women in the study carried something, while only 46 percent of the men did.
Meanwhile, 18 percent of women were seen talking to someone, compared to 13 percent of men.
About one in eight falls among young adults happen on stairs.
Evidence from the US suggests that children aged three and under, those over 85 and adults in their 20s are the most likely to fall on stairs.
The researchers filmed two interior staircases on a university campus: one with only two steps and a longer staircase with 17 steps.