Anthropometry of Iranian Guidance School Students with Different Ethnicities: A Comparative Study

Amir Houshang Mehrparvar,Mehrdad Mostaghaci,Mohammad Hossein Davari,Seyyed Jalil Mirmohammadi,Rahmatollah Hafezi

doi:10.1155/2015/893489

Abstract

Objective. We measured some anthropometric dimensions of Iranian guidance school students selected from different ethnicities. Background. Anthropometric dimensions are used for design of equipment, furniture, and clothing. Furniture with inappropriate design not fulfilling the users' anthropometric dimensions may have a negative effect on health. Method. A total of 7400 Iranian guidance school students aged 12–14 years entered the study and their static anthropometric dimensions were measured. Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, and key percentiles were calculated. All dimensions were compared among different ethnicities and different genders. Results. This study showed significant differences in a set of 22 anthropometric dimensions regarding gender, age, and ethnicity. Conclusion. According to the results of this study, difference between genders and among different ethnicities should be taken into account by designers and manufacturers of guidance school furniture. Application. This study has prepared a data bank of anthropometric dimensions of 12–14-year-old students which can be used as basic information to find appropriate dimensions of school furniture.

Highlights

IntroductionIn order to properly design different products, it is important to have access to anthropometric dimensions of the potential users [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
In order to properly design different products, it is important to have access to anthropometric dimensions of the potential users [1,2,3,4,5,6,7].Inappropriate dimensions of furniture and other products which do not match the users’ body dimensions may lead to many adverse effects [3, 5, 8,9,10,11,12]
There was a significant difference between males and females in most dimensions

Summary

Introduction

In order to properly design different products, it is important to have access to anthropometric dimensions of the potential users [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. Inappropriate dimensions of furniture and other products which do not match the users’ body dimensions may lead to many adverse effects [3, 5, 8,9,10,11,12]. Students are among the populations at risk for musculoskeletal disorders as a result of incorrect posture, frequently caused by inappropriate school furniture [6, 11]. Appropriate design according to the target user groups and identification of the most important body dimensions are key issues in the design process [7]. Several researches have worked on anthropometric dimensions of people in different ages in many countries with different races or ethnicities [9, 14,15,16,17,18,19,20]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion