Abstract
Computer work is characterized by sedentary static workload with low-intensity energy metabolism. The aim of our study was to evaluate the dynamics of skin surface temperature in the hand during prolonged computer mouse work under different ergonomic setups. Digital infrared imaging of the right forearm and wrist was performed during three hours of continuous computer work (measured at the start and every 15 minutes thereafter) in a laboratory with controlled ambient conditions. Four people participated in the study. Three different ergonomic computer mouse setups were tested on three different days (horizontal computer mouse without mouse pad; horizontal computer mouse with mouse pad and padded wrist support; vertical computer mouse without mouse pad). The study revealed a significantly strong negative correlation between the temperature of the dorsal surface of the wrist and time spent working with a computer mouse. Hand skin temperature decreased markedly after one hour of continuous computer mouse work. Vertical computer mouse work preserved more stable and higher temperatures of the wrist (>30 °C), while continuous use of a horizontal mouse for more than two hours caused an extremely low temperature (<28 °C) in distal parts of the hand. The preliminary observational findings indicate the significant effect of the duration and ergonomics of computer mouse work on the development of hand hypothermia.
Highlights
The modern world is unimaginable without computers and digital technologies
Computer work is characterized by a sedentary, mostly static workload that results in low-intensity energy metabolism [1]
The aim of our study was to evaluate the dynamics of skin surface temperature in the hand during prolonged computer mouse work under different ergonomic setups
Summary
The modern world is unimaginable without computers and digital technologies. More and more people use computers for long hours at work as well as during their leisure time [1,2,3,4]. The duration of time spent physically inactive at a computer is frequently not felt by people in terms of physical discomfort [5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]. Computer work is characterized by a sedentary, mostly static workload that results in low-intensity energy metabolism [1]. Emerging health risks from prolonged sitting and sedentary lifestyle are well known and include the development of obesity, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, cancer, a decline in venous circulation in the lower extremities and pelvis, and impairment in bowel motility [1,13,14,15,16,17,18,19]
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