Computers may cause posture problems in children

NEW YORK, Feb 15 (Reuters Health) -- The designers of computer workstations 
installed in schools often forget to take into account the needs of growing 
children -- putting millions of children at risk for musculoskeletal 
problems, according to a study from Cornell University in New York.

Researcher Shawn Oates and associates studied 95 children between the ages 
of 8 1/2 to 11 1/2 as they used computer workstations at school. The team 
report that nearly 40% of the third-to-fifth grade students used 
workstations that put them at postural risk, often with monitors and 
keyboards that are too high for them, or without the aid of hand and palm 
rests. More than half of the monitors assessed in the study were even 
higher than recommended levels for adults.

While the risk of injury to most children is low because they spend only 
short periods of time on computers, the likelihood of developing 
musculoskeletal problems could increase as they get older. Studies of 
adults have linked poor posture at workstations to discomfort in the neck, 
shoulder, back, arm, and hand.

``Most children are now working for short periods of time on keyboards that 
are too high and incorrectly angled, looking sharply up at monitors,'' said 
Oates, now an engineer at Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F - news).

``Seat comfort was also an issue for these children,'' Oates told Reuters 
Health. ``Many sat either far forward with their feet on the floor but 
backs unsupported or far rearward with their backs supported but legs left 
dangling. The former can lead to back strain and the latter to swelling of 
the .. legs and feet.''

Her research, part of a master's thesis at Cornell and published in the 
journal Computers in Schools, found that none of the 95 students in the 
study scored within acceptable levels for their postural comfort. This 
remained true across urban, suburban, and rural settings.

``This research suggests that ergonomic considerations for computer use 
among elementary schoolchildren are frequently disregarded. This has 
implications for health problems down the line,'' said Cornell professor 
Gary Evans, an environmental psychologist who supervised the study.

According to the report, about 70% of the country's 30 million elementary 
schoolchildren use computers in school. This figure is rising by about 10% 
each year.

SOURCE: Computers in Schools 1998;14:55-63.