Effects of Adjustable School Furniture

University of Primorska

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Sedentary Lifestyle

Treatments: Device: Adjustable Furniture

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03653767

Classroom Ergonomics

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this study is to evaluate the level of mismatch between students and school furniture and to assess the effects of adjustable furniture on sedentary behavior, physical activity levels, and sitting posture in students. Firstly, we will obtain the anthropometric measures of all students participating in the study. Secondly, we will calculate the mismatch between the student's anthropometric measures and current school furniture. In the next step, the participants will be separated in two groups, the experimental and the control group. The participants in the experimental group will use adjustable school furniture for one week, whereas the control group will use the conventional school furniture. All the participants will wear an accelerometer for five consecutive days. The results obtained will indicate the furniture mismatch prevalence and demonstrate the effects of adjustable furniture on health-related parameters in students.

Full description

Sedentary behavior is a risk factor affecting not only working population but also adolescents. Students spend long period of time seated, which is being associated with reports of musculoskeletal discomfort and pain. The high level of mismatch between students and school furniture is being associated with adolescent lower back pain. The aim of this study is to evaluate the level of mismatch between students and school furniture and to assess the effects of adjustable furniture on sedentary behavior, physical activity levels, and sitting posture in students. Before the experimental part of the study, we will obtain the anthropometric measures of all students participating in the study to calculate the mismatch between the students and the school furniture. In the next step, the participants will be separated to the experimental or the control group. The experimental group will use adjustable school furniture for one week whereas the control group will use the conventional school furniture. All the participants will wear an accelerometer for five consecutive days. The participants will also complete questionnaires about the sedentary behavior and physical activity levels. The sitting posture will be evaluated with Rapid Upper Limb Assessment tool (RULA). Moreover, at the baseline and on the last day of measurements we will measure the classroom environment factors (light, noise, air flow, temperature). The results obtained will indicate the furniture mismatch prevalence and demonstrate the effects of adjustable furniture on health-related parameters in students.

Enrollment: 30 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 16 to 24 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• aged between 16 and 24 years
• student

Exclusion criteria

• body mass index > 30kg/m2
• pain presence in any musculoskeletal part > 3 on 10-level scale
• presence of any non-communicable chronical diseases
• pregnancy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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30 participants in 2 patient groups

Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

The control group will use conventional school furniture.

Adjustable Furniture Group

Experimental group

Description:

The experimental group will use adjustable ergonomic school furniture.

Treatment:

Device: Adjustable Furniture