ITKids: How children’s postural variation differs from adults when using different information and communication technologies
Background: Information and communication technologies (ICT), including computers, play an important role in the daily lives of adults and schoolchildren. Computer use is associated with an increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among workers, but less is known about the risks among school children. Lack of postural variation has been proposed as a potential risk factor for MSDs during ICT use. Objective: Compare the upper body postures and postural variation between school children and adults when performing tasks using paper-based (Old) ICT, electronics-based (New) ICT and tasks in which no ICT is used (Non). Method: Direct measurements of head, trunk and arm postures of adult office workers (n=24) and school children (n=9) were taken continuously for up to 12h on one day in their natural environments. Simultaneous observations of the tasks performed and ICT used were documented and matched to the postural data. Variation of postures were determined using two indices (APDF(90-10)) and EVA(sd)). Non-parametric analyses (Mann-Whitney U Test) determined whether differences in mean postures and postural variation between the adults and children were significant Results: Mean postures: During Old ICT tasks childrens mean arm abduction, arm flexion and arm elevation were greater compared to adults. During New ICT tasks, childrens mean arm elevation was greater than the adults, and children had more neutral head postures than the adults. There was no difference in mean trunk flexion or lateral bending between adults and children for any ICT type. Postural variation: Children had greater variation of arm postures than adults during different ICT tasks using both variation indices. Children had more variable head flexion than adults during Old ICT tasks using the EVA(sd) index, and childrens range of head lateral bending was greater than adults during all ICT types using the APDF(90-10) index. Children had more variable trunk flexion than adults when using Old and New ICT and more variable lateral flexion during old ICT tasks, as determined by both variation indices. Conclusion: Childrens arm and trunk postures were less neutral than the adults when using paper-based Old ICT and electronics-based New ICT which may be associated with furniture at school and at home that was poorly matched to the anthropometrics of the children. However, more variable arm, head and trunk postures among the children may mitigate possible risks of musculoskeletal discomfort.
M.Ciccarelli L.Straker SE Mathiassen C.Pollock
Centre for Research into Disability and Society, School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work,Curt School of Physiotherapy, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia Curtin Health Innovation Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, University of G(a)vle, Sweden School of Psychology, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia Curtin Health Innovation Res
国际会议
17th World Congress on Ergonomics(第十七届国际人类工效学大会)
北京
英文
1-6
2009-08-09（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）