This study investigates the prevalence, physical complaints, and impacts of heavy backpack use among junior high school students, with a focus on understanding how the weight and design of backpacks affect students' physical well-being and academic efficiency. The study was underpinned by the ergonomic theory. Using a descriptive survey design,…

Educational interventions can help people acquire knowledge of the anatomy of the back, how to lift and carry objects effectively, and potential risk factors of low back pain (Sowah et al., 2018). Health promotion is essential in improving disability, pain, as well as the overall quality of life (Albaladejo et al., 2010). Young adults have not…

Mismatches between children's anthropometric measures and classroom furniture dimensions can cause musculoskeletal disorders and affect performance in classroom activities. The aim of this study was to survey the anthropometric measures of primary school children in Akure South Local Government and to evaluate the level of match/mismatch between…

School environment interventions are strongly supported by the World Health Organisation framework for health promoting schools (Barnekow et al., 2006). Indeed school-based education interventions for improving knowledge of back health and postural behaviour have been used in numerous countries worldwide to improve children's and adolescents'…

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) related to occupational work or termed as WMSDs are the most common health issues that are experienced by many workers. Either due to the human errors or inconvenient and faulty workplaces, this illness has caused both employers and employees great economic losses. However, when observing the prevalence of MSDs…

Background: Considering the amount of time children spend sitting in school, concerns about the consequences of an improper sitting position have been raised.Purpose: Evaluate the outcome of an occupational therapy intervention implemented to reduce child-furniture incompatibility.Methods: Repeated-measures design utilizing a within-subject…

The need for adjustability in school furniture, in order to accommodate the variation in anthropometric measures of different genders, cultures and ages is becoming increasingly important. Four chair-table combinations, different in dimensions, with adjustable chair seating heights and table heights were designed, manufactured and distributed to…

Students spend hours a day in classrooms, so it is critical to their learning to have places to sit that are healthful and comfortable. Schools and universities should outfit their classrooms and other learning spaces with furniture that enables students to carry out their school work comfortably and does not detract from their ability to focus…

We aimed to evaluate the influence of different types of wheelchair seats on paraplegic individuals' postural control using a maximum anterior reaching test. Balance evaluations during 50, 75, and 90% of each individual's maximum reach in the forward direction using two different cushions on seat (one foam and one gel) and a no-cushion condition…

Educational ergonomics focuses on the interaction between educational performance and educational design. By improving the design or pointing out the possible problems, educational ergonomics can be utilized to have positive impacts on the student performance and thus on education process. Laptops and tablet computers are becoming widely used by…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of an automated observation and feedback system in improving safe sitting postures. Participants were four office workers. The dependent variables were the percentages of time participants spent in five safe body positions during experimental sessions. We used a multiple-baseline design counterbalanced across…

"Ergonomics" is a body of knowledge about human abilities and limitations and how these abilities and limitations should be applied to the design of equipment, machinery, and other devices to ensure safe, comfortable and effective use. Most homes and schools today are equipped with computers for student use. Backpacks have become the…

Improving employees' posture may decrease the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. The current paper is a systematic replication and extension of Sigurdsson and Austin (2008), who found that an intervention consisting of information, real-time feedback, and self-monitoring improved participant posture at mock workstations. In the current study,…

The present study examined the usage pattern of electronic game devices among primary school children in Hong Kong. Commonly used types of games devices were grouped into three main categories: large-screen/TV-based games, small handheld game devices and active game devices. A survey was conducted among 476 students in a local primary school, with…

What's the number 1 threat to young students using computers today? According to Dan Odell, Microsoft's in-house ergonomist, when he asked parents this very question, "the things they were most concerned about were online predators and people taking advantage of their kids. Ergonomics was fairly far down the list." Unfortunately, that…