Ergonomic Perceptions and Practices among Students in E-learning during COVID-19

Abstract

The sudden shift to e-learning during the pandemic has challenged the students in setting up proper work areas with available space and resources. However, it is unclear whether these spaces conform to good ergonomic standards, which apply to information about human behaviour, abilities, limitations and other characteristics to the design of tools, machines, tasks, jobs and environments for productive, safe, comfortable and effective human use. This study was conducted, in order to assess the ergonomic perceptions and practices in e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic among the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University students. An analytical cross-sectional design was used with a convenience sample of 384 students from January to April 2021. A self-administered online questionnaire was used for the data collection. A descriptive data analysis and a Pearson chi-square test were done, using JMP Version 14. The results indicated positive ergonomic perceptions. With regard to practices, most desktop laptop users applied good ergonomic practices (80.7%). In contrast, 50.5% of laptop-without-desk users and 47% of smartphone/tablet users engaged in poor ergonomic practices. Furthermore, the findings showed that there were no significant associations between ergonomic practices and ergonomic perceptions. The study recommends the provision of health-education programmes to encourage the application of correct ergonomic practices. In addition to applying flexible breaks during classes, the study advocates the adoption of practices that avoid.