consequences of binding among older women in beijing

in 1997, research finding were published in the American Journal of Public Health in a paper titled consequences of footbinding among older women in Beijing, China. the researchers traveld to Beijing to interview and test women over 70 years old who had had their feet bound in childhood and compared them to women of the same age whose feet had never been bound. the study found that for some activities there was no difference between the two groups of women. they could walk 1 kilometer, stand while cooking and generally get around. in the case of falling, a major problem for older women, 38% of the women with bound feet had falls where the control group of women with unbound feet had falls incidence of only 19%. the women with bound feet were also found to be less able to squat 54% vs 34% and five times slower to rise from a chairs than their unbound counterparts. the test group had bone density test showing a 5.1% lower density in the hip and 4.5% lower density in the spine. the increased fall rate coupled with the lower bone density in these subjects increased fall spinal fractures in this study group. the conclusion of the study was that footbinding produced severe lifelong disabilities.