Affiliations: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong
Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
Note: [] Corresponding author: Grace Szeto, Department of Rehabilitation
Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong,
China. Tel.: +852 27666706; Fax: +852 23308656; E-mail:
rsgszeto@inet.polyu.edu.hk
Abstract: BACKGROUND: All around the world, there is a rising trend of
computer use among young children especially at home; yet the computer
furniture is usually not designed specifically for children's use. In Hong
Kong, this creates an even greater problem as most people live in very small
apartments in high-rise buildings. Most of the past research literature is
focused on computer use in children in the school environment and not about the
home setting. OBJECTIVE: The present pilot study aimed to examine ergonomic issues
in children's use of computers at home in Hong Kong, which has some unique home
environmental issues. PARTICIPANTS: Fifteen children (six male, nine female) aged
8–11 years and their parents were recruited by convenience sampling. METHODS: Participants were asked to provide information on their
computer use habits and related musculoskeletal symptoms. Participants were
photographed when sitting at the computer workstation in their usual postures
and joint angles were measured. RESULTS: The participants used computers frequently for less than
two hours daily and the majority shared their workstations with other family
members. Computer furniture was designed more for adult use and a mismatch of
furniture and body size was found. Ergonomic issues included inappropriate
positioning of the display screen, keyboard, and mouse, as well as lack of
forearm support and suitable backrest. These led to awkward or constrained
postures while some postural problems may be habitual. Three participants
reported neck and shoulder discomfort in the past 12 months and 4 reported
computer-related discomfort. CONCLUSIONS: Inappropriate computer workstation settings may have
adverse effects on children's postures. More research on workstation setup at
home, where children may use their computers the most, is needed.
