The Working Postures Among Schoolchildren—A Controlled Intervention Study on the Effects of Newly Designed Workstations

Abstract

School workstations are often inappropriate in not offering an optimal sitting posture. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of individually adjustable saddle-type chairs with wheels and desks with comfort curve and arm support on schoolchildren's working postures compared to conventional workstations. Ninety-seven participants aged 12-16 years were followed for 1 year, 47 at an intervention school and 50 at a control school. Anthropometrics and workstation dimensions were measured and working postures analyzed for a part of each group (n = 21, both groups) by means of video recording at baseline, before new workstations were introduced, and during follow-up. There was a significant increase in upright back (p= .012) and neck (p= .019) postures in the intervention group compared to controls during follow-up. The saddle-type chairs allowed significantly greater trunk-thigh angles (p < .001) among participants than conventional chairs. In schoolchildren, using individually adjustable saddle-type chairs and desks with comfort curve, a better match between workstations and anthropometric dimensions and improved working postures are obtained than using conventional workstations.