Reducing Child-Furniture Incompatibility in Primary Schools

Abstract

ABSTRACTBackground: 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 comparison. Teachers’ competence in promoting children’s positioning (N = 14 teachers) and child-furniture incompatibility (N = 171 children) was measured.Findings: A statistically significant increase in teachers’ competence was measured, as well as a decrease in desk-height incompatibility. Seat-height incompatibility remained unchanged.Implications: Evaluating the impact of workshops remains essential to ascertain the effectiveness of our interventions.