Do ergonomically designed school workstations decrease musculoskeletal symptoms in children? A 26-month prospective follow-up study.
Workstations at school are among several factors that contribute to musculoskeletal symptoms among school-aged children. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ergonomically designed workstations on schoolchildren's musculoskeletal symptoms as compared to conventional workstations. In the first 14-month phase of the study (2002-2003, two schools), 42 from the intervention and 46 from the control school participated. In the total follow-up of 26 months (2002-2004), 23 in the intervention group and 20 in the control group participated. Anthropometrics and musculoskeletal symptoms were measured. In general, the ergonomically designed school workstations did not decrease present neck-shoulder, upper back, low back and lower limbs strain and pain, compared to conventional ones during follow-ups.
Saarni
Lea A
LA
Tampere School of Public Health, FIN-33014 University of Tampere, Finland. lea.saarni@uta.fi
Rimpelä
Arja H
AH
Nummi
Tapio H
TH
Kaukiainen
Anneli
A
Salminen
Jouko J
JJ
Nygård
Clas-Håkan
CH
D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D002648:Child; D006804:Ergonomics; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007374:Interior Design and Furnishings; D008297:Male; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012574:Schools; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires