Designing better hip protectors: a critical and contextual review examining their acceptance and adoption in older populations

Hip fractures are a very serious condition in the elderly, greatly increasing morbidity and mortality. Hip protector garments, with integrated impact absorbing or deflecting pads, are known to help reduce hip fractures when worn by high-risk populations. However, uptake of these products is low. By investigating academic studies and sales and marketing literature, this paper provides a critical and contextual review of barriers to acceptance and adoption of hip protectors amongst older adults. This is part of a broader PhD investigation to establish how hip protection can be improved through human-centred design. Discomfort is the most reported barrier to acceptance although there are several more, including aesthetics and difficulty of use. Receptivity towards hip protectors is key to eventual compliance, and design criteria including aesthetics, convenience, comfort and cost should be as important as the level of impact protection to the hip joint.