Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies
Date Submitted: Apr 19, 2025
Date Accepted: Jan 13, 2026
Comparison of Upper-body Joint and Hand Motions in Eating Solid Foods with Chopsticks and Semi-solid Foods with a Spoon in Healthy Males and Females: Observational Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Foods are not only masticated and swallowed but also influence the choice of utensil selection and use. Comparison of the contexts in which different utensils are used with each food form enables the assessment of individuals experiencing eating difficulties in the food culture unique to East Asia.
Objective:
This study examined the use of chopsticks and a spoon, considering East Asian rehabilitation practices, to evaluate movements involved in eating pickles (solid food) and yogurt (semi-solid food), respectively.
Methods:
The upper-body kinematics, including joint and hand spatiotemporal motions, were quantified using a three-dimensional inertial motion-capturing system and analyzed in healthy males (n=22, mean age=27.9±5.5 years) and females (n=21, mean age=26.9±4.7 years) across 4 feeding phases (reaching, taking it up, transporting, and inserting food into the mouth) by comparing utensils for eating respective food forms using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Results:
Both sexes showed smaller maximum shoulder flexion angles with chopsticks for eating solid food across all phases (males: reaching phase, P<.001; taking foods up phase, P=.042; transport phase, P<.001; mouth phase, P<.001; females: reaching phase, P<.001; taking foods up phase, P=.007; transport phase, P<.001; mouth phase, P<.001). Elbow, forearm, and wrist ulnar deviation angle changes were smaller with chopsticks during the "taking up" phase (all in both sexes, P<.001). In contrast, greater elbow joint angle changes were observed during the "reaching" phase (males, P=.002; females, P=.030) and greater forearm angle changes during the "transporting" phase (males, P=.013; females, P=.001) with chopsticks. For hand spatiotemporal parameters, the chopstick condition involved shorter actual distances (males, P<.001; females, P<.001), lower distance efficiency (males, P=.039; females, P=.001), and slower speed (males, P=.001; females, P<.001) during food transport.
Conclusions:
The joint and hand spatiotemporal motion characteristics observed with chopsticks and a spoon in healthy individuals can serve as referable movements for individuals with sensorimotor dysfunctions and inform the selection of adaptive utensils in rehabilitation practice.
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Copyright
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