Upper quadrant postural changes of school children in response to interaction with different information technologies

Area of Science:

• Ergonomics
• Pediatrics
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Modern educational settings increasingly involve digital devices.
• Understanding the ergonomic impact of different information technologies (IT) on children's posture is crucial for long-term health.
• Previous research has not comprehensively compared the postural effects of traditional (books) versus new IT (laptops, desktops) in school children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively analyze the sitting posture of school children using books, laptops, and desktop computers.
• To test the hypothesis that the type of information technology (IT) influences children's posture.
• To investigate the effects of age and gender on IT-influenced posture.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-model design was employed, with IT type as a within-subjects factor and age and gender as between-subjects factors.
• The sitting posture of 32 children (aged 4-17 years) was video-recorded while they interacted with a book, laptop, and desktop computer.
• Video images were digitized to calculate mean angles for head tilt, neck flexion, trunk flexion, and gaze angle. Resting posture and cervical spine range of motion were also measured.

Main Results:

• Sitting posture was significantly influenced by the type of IT used (p < 0.001), participant age (p < 0.001), and gender (p = 0.024).
• Posture was also found to be significantly correlated with the stature of the children.
• Specific postural deviations varied across different IT interactions.

Conclusions:

• The type of information technology (IT) significantly impacts school children's sitting posture, alongside age and gender.
• These findings highlight the need for ergonomic considerations when children use various IT devices.
• Further discussion on the biophysical impact and suitability of different IT for children's posture is warranted.