Production and Systems Department, School of Engineering, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal.
Appl Ergon. 2010 Jul;41(4):563-8. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2009.12.001. Epub 2009 Dec 23.
Children spend about five hours per day sitting down while doing their school work. Considering this as well as the potential inadequate use of school furniture, it is likely that some anatomical-functional changes and problems in the learning process may occur. The aim of this study was to compare furniture sizes within three different schools with the anthropometric characteristics of Chilean students in the Valparaíso region, in order to evaluate the potential mismatch between them. The sample consisted of 195 volunteer students (94 male, 101 female) of the 8th grade, ranging from 12.5 to 14.5 years of age from 3 different schools. Regarding the methodology, 6 anthropometric measures (Stature, Popliteal height, Buttock-popliteal length, Elbow height while sitting, Hip width, Thigh thickness and Subscapular height) were gathered, as well as 8 dimensions from the school furniture. For the evaluation of classroom furniture a match criterion equation was defined. After considering the existing classroom furniture dimensions in each match criterion equation, the anthropometric characteristics of the considered population were compared in order to determine the mismatch between them. Results indicated that seat height, which should be considered as the starting point for the design of classroom furniture, was appropriate for students' popliteal height in only 14% of the 2 out of the 3 schools, and 28% in the third. Seat to desk height was too high and mismatched 99% of the students in one school and 100% in the others. Therefore, it was possible to conclude that the classroom's furniture was inadequate in almost all the analyzed cases and subjects. It is possible that the high mismatch percentage found between furniture and students' anthropometry can be associated to the fact that the acquisition and selection of the furniture was made without any ergonomic concern or criteria.
学生在做学校作业时，每天大约有 5 个小时是坐着的。考虑到这一点，以及学校家具可能使用不当，学生在学习过程中可能会出现一些解剖功能的变化和问题。本研究的目的是比较三个不同学校的家具尺寸与瓦尔帕莱索地区智利学生的人体测量特征，以评估它们之间潜在的不匹配。样本由来自三所不同学校的 195 名八年级志愿者学生（94 名男性，101 名女性）组成，年龄在 12.5 至 14.5 岁之间。在方法学方面，收集了 6 个人体测量指标（身高、腘高、臀股长、坐姿肘高、臀宽、大腿厚度和肩胛下角高），以及学校家具的 8 个尺寸。为了评估教室家具，定义了一个匹配标准方程。在考虑每个匹配标准方程中现有的教室家具尺寸后，比较了所考虑人群的人体测量特征，以确定它们之间的不匹配程度。结果表明，座椅高度应被视为设计教室家具的起点，但在 3 所学校中的 2 所中，仅有 14%的学生的腘高适合座椅高度，在第 3 所学校中为 28%。座椅到桌面的高度过高，不匹配 1 所学校的 99%的学生，另 1 所学校的 100%的学生。因此，可以得出结论，在几乎所有分析的情况下和科目中，教室家具都不适用。在家具和学生人体测量学之间发现的高不匹配百分比可能与这样一个事实有关，即家具的采购和选择没有任何人体工程学考虑或标准。
