Clothing fasteners for women with arthritis

Abstract

To examine the ability of women with arthritis to manipulate fasteners, 97 women with various forms of arthritis were interviewed and tested using an adjustable bodice-front vest with assorted detachable fastener samples. Since evaluations were performed, in most cases, when the disease was in remission, nearly all of the women were able to manipulate the fasteners presented--sets of zippers, buttons, Velcro, and snaps. The conventional zipper with large teeth and ring pull tab exposed application, and a convex button with a shank used with a vertical buttonhole were manipulated most easily, while fasteners more difficult to manipulate included an invisible zipper, no-sew gripper snaps, and several Velcro samples. Subjects tended to prefer conventional fasteners and methods of application used in ready-to-wear apparel.