title: Measures of fit and discomfort for elementary school children in Serbia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Assessing physical ergonomic factors within the classroom environment creates new opportunities to support designs that promote student well-being. Student-aged anthropometric data helps guide proper desk fit assessment, therefore facilitating scholastic performance through the reduction of distractions such as physical discomfort.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study reports dimensions of fit between student anthropometry and the desk environment (classroom seating conditions), for grade-school aged children in Serbia. Measurements of the children and their desks are compared to subjective reports of discomfort.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven elementary school students, grade 2 (ages 7-8; n=29) and grade 4 (ages 9-10; n=28), were enrolled in this study. All participants were from the same elementary school in the city of Nis, Serbia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen anthropometric measurements of students were collected using standard anthropometric instruments. Eight measurements of student work desks and chairs were also collected. Students were evaluated by a physiatrist to assess health issues and completed a novel questionnaire about musculoskeletal discomfort for different body parts. Student fit to the classroom seat and desk was assessed structurally and subjectively. Data analysis included descriptive anthropometric measurements and inferential statistics including Chi square analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicated age-related differences in body part discomfort for grade 2 and grade 4 students, arm discomfort reported over 50% of second grade students, and neck/upper back discomfort was reported as the highest of all body parts (32%) for students in the fourth grade.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anthropometric variables and preliminary analysis of fit as it relates to reported discomfort are discussed, as are external factors of backpack use and seated video/computer-game use. International comparisons of anthropometric data are discussed and serve to inform new considerations of ergonomics research for school children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Design and Environmental Analysis, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. djf222@cornell.edu
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Feathers
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pavlovic-Veselinovic
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hedge
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012574:Schools; D055771:Serbia