Study Emphasizes the Necessity of Inclusive Design in Pediatric Respirators
Image: Unsplash/Caroline Hernandez
Pediatric respirators have previously been limited in design and approached as smaller-scale adult products. However, a recent study analyzed how age, sex, and ancestry create variations in facial shape. The team of researchers included Seth Weinberg, PhD, of UPitt’s Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences.
Data from four previous research projects was analyzed, resulting in a sample population of 15,000 individuals, 8273 of whom were children aged two to 18.
The datasets were analyzed in three stages:
Linear Measurements: 16 facial measurements were used to create plots of the relationship between the measurements and age, as well as sex and ancestry.
Principal Axes of Covariance: 3D models were used to study and predict the patterns of change in children’s facial shapes as they age.
Average Craniofacial Form Age Trajectories by Sex and Ancestry: The faces of boys and girls were analyzed separately, focusing on variations related to age, ancestry, height, and weight.
The results showed that age created the most significant variation in facial shapes, accounting for 25% of the total variance, followed by ancestry (7%), and sex (1%). Although age differences accounted for the greatest variation, areas of the face that affect how a respirator may fit a child are also considerably impacted by ancestry.
The study affirms that racial categories do not accurately reflect human biological variation. Although facial features, such as the shape of the nose and the jaw, are linked to ancestry, they do not vary between different groups but within them. Thus, facial variations are shared across ancestral groups.
Ultimately, the research highlights the necessity of equitable design. An ill-fitting respirator adds to the already present stress of systematic inequalities on equity-deserving groups’ health. In order for the devices to work for all children, designers of pediatric respirators need to take different face shapes and changes related to age into account when creating their product.