Abstract
Mobile phones are common in our daily life, but the users’ preferences for postures or screen operating styles have not been studied. This was a cross-sectional and observational study. We randomly sampled passengers who used mobile phones on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system in metropolitan Taipei. A checklist was used to observe their body postures and screen operating styles while sitting or standing. As a result, 1,230 subjects from 400 trips were observed. Overall, of all the passengers who were sitting, 41% of them were using mobile phones. The majority of the tasks involved browsing (84%) with their phones in a portrait orientation (93%). Different-hand holding/operating was the most commonly used operating style while sitting (46%) and same-hand holding/operating was the most common while standing (46%). The distribution of screen operating styles was significantly different for those sitting than for those standing and for different genders and age groups. The most frequently observed postures while sitting were having one’s trunk against a backrest, feet on the floor and with or without an arm supported (58%). As for the users who were standing, the both- and different-hands groups had a high proportion of arms unsupported, feet on the floor and either their trunk supported or not. In contrast, the same-hand group tended to have their trunk unsupported, were holding a pole or handstrap and had both feet on floor. Further studies are warranted to characterize the ergonomic exposure of these commonly used postures and operating styles, and our results will help guide the selection of experimental conditions for laboratory settings.
Highlights
A mobile phone is no longer just a telephone and has become an integral part of modern living for many people
The health concerns associated with mobile phone use have shifted to addictive use, psychological impact, safety issues and musculoskeletal symptoms [5,6,7,8,9]
The majority of mobile phone users were young to middle-aged, and more than 80% were less than 40 years old (Table 3)
Summary
A mobile phone is no longer just a telephone and has become an integral part of modern living for many people. A decade ago, the major health concern with regard to mobile phone use was cancer, such as brain tumors or acoustic neuroma [4]. The exposure patterns have changed greatly, and mobile phones are not PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0148419. Mobile Phone Use on MRT only used for talking and listening. The technical advancement of user interfaces through integrated touch-displays allows mobile devices to be controlled by the fingers, not styli or keyboards. The health concerns associated with mobile phone use have shifted to addictive use, psychological impact, safety issues and musculoskeletal symptoms [5,6,7,8,9]
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