An innovative ergonomic design of classroom furniture based on anthropometric measurements at tertiary institutions

Journal of Engineering Studies and Research, 2021

A total of five hundred and fifty students were randomly selected in three schools of engineering; communication; science and technology. The existing furniture dimensions were measured. The maximum and minimum table height was determined. The results showed seat heights as compared with the students body sizes are expected to be in the range of 33.85 cm and 36.54 cm. Table height is expected to be in the range of 61.08 cm and 64.48 cm. The study concluded that data on the anthropometric dimension of students are provided and this could be used as database for the planning of future furniture in the lecture rooms.

The desk-and-chair and chair-with-mounted-desktop furniture are widely used in the classrooms of Bangladeshi universities. However, an anthropometric survey showed that the fixed-type and side-mounted-desktop-chair used by university students in Bangladesh were not manufactured according to ergonomic considerations. The study evaluated the potential mismatch between university classroom furniture dimensions and anthropometric characteristics of 500 Bangladeshi university students. Fifteen anthropometric measurements and nine dimensions from the existing classroom furniture were measured and then compared together to identify any potential mismatch between them. The paper showed the variation between the anthropometric measurements of students and the dimensions of existing furniture. The results indicated that the seat height of both desk-and-chair and side-mounted-desktop-chair was high, while the desk height of desk-and-chair was high and that of side-mounted desktop chair was low for the students. The paper also recommends the furniture dimensions for both types, which are ergonomically fit.

––Anthropometric considerations play an important role in improving the efficiency of a person. Anthropometry of users is important in designing the products which suit with the user. Seating furniture plays an important role in making the workplace comfortable and suitable for the users. In the present study the classroom furniture's of different colleges of Gulbarga were studied and analyzed on the basis of anthropometry of the students. A sample of 400 students (200 males & 200 females) ageing between 18 to 25 years were selected and analyzed on the basis of their anthropometry , it was found that the five different models of furniture used were made without any anthropometric considerations and were found to be incompatible with the user population. Some features like seat height, width etc were not as per the anthropometry of the students and also some of the benches used were even without any backrest.

African Journal of Biotechnology, 2010

In this study, the necessary anthropometric measurements of classroom furniture used in Turkish higher education were carried out. The static anthropometric measurements of 13 dimensions from 1049 students were obtained while they are standing and sitting. The data obtained was analyzed to determine the limit values to be used in classroom and laboratory design. The dimensions of school desks and chairs were compared with the student's anthropometric measurements. For male students, the average weight was found as 69.50 kg, stature as 1749 mm, and popliteal height as 433 mm. For female students, the average weight was found as 56.02 kg, stature as 1618 mm, and popliteal height as 421 mm values. According to these anthropometric measurements, it was observed that there was a mismatch between popliteal height and seat height, knee height and desk clearance, buttock to popliteal length and seat depth. The percentile values concerning the ergonomic design of school desks and chairs in our classrooms were presented. The results show that there are significant differences between the anthropometric measures of Turkish students and other nations compared.

Journal of Industrial and Production Engineering, 2014

The desk-and-chair and chair-with-mounted-desktop furniture are widely used in the classrooms of Bangladeshi universities. However, an anthropometric survey showed that the fixed-type and side-mounted-desktop-chair used by university students in Bangladesh were not manufactured according to ergonomic considerations. The study evaluated the potential mismatch between university classroom furniture dimensions and anthropometric characteristics of 500 Bangladeshi university students. Fifteen anthropometric measurements and nine dimensions from the existing classroom furniture were measured and then compared together to identify any potential mismatch between them. The paper showed the variation between the anthropometric measurements of students and the dimensions of existing furniture. The results indicated that the seat height of both desk-and-chair and side-mounted-desktop-chair was high, while the desk height of desk-and-chair was high and that of side-mounted desktop chair was low for the students. The paper also recommends the furniture dimensions for both types, which are ergonomically fit.

The present study is aimed to evaluate the extent of mismatch between different dimensions of students furniture and the respective anthropometric measures of students. For this purpose, 400 engineering students in the age group 18-24 years were randomly selected from engineering colleges in North Karnataka. The dimensions of the students desks available in the classrooms were taken. The class room furniture was evaluated with a defined match criterion given by various researchers. 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. The results from the present study show that the college furniture is far from compatible with the anthropometric measurements of the students. there was a significant difference between the desk height and the sum of elbow rest height and popliteal height of the students, seat height and popliteal height, seat width and buttock popliteal length.. Incompatible furniture forced the students to adopt unnatural postures (lateral bend, forward bend, twisting, etc.) in the classroom for long periods, which imposes physical and mental strain on the students. It is recommended to develop an anthropometric database of students and on the basis of it, at the time of renewal of furniture, take into consideration this information either to gain adjustable furniture or possibly acquire, in size, three types of desks, large, medium and small so that students have the options and find the most suited to their anthropometry.

Journal of Engineering Science and Technology

Selected anthropometric measures of two hundred primary school pupils in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State were used to design classroom desks and tables. The relevant anthropometric measures were popliteal height, buttock-popliteal length, elbow rest height, hip breadth, shoulder height and elbow-hand grip. The pupils with age range from 5 to 14 years (mean = 9.8 years, SD = 2.9 years) were grouped into three age groups of 5-8 years, 9-12 years and 13-14 years. From the data obtained; 5th, 10th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 95th percentiles were computed. In addition, 2-Tail Paired samples T-Test was conducted for the measurements of the male and female pupils for the three- age groups at 0.05 level of significance. Based on the anthropometric data obtained, this paper proposes furniture design dimensions for seat height (32.0 cm, 37.3 cm and 40.3 cm for 5-8 years, 9 to 12 years and 13-14 years respectively). It proposes seat depth (33.0 cm, 38.0 cm and 41.0 cm for 5-8 years,...

Students most likely have one of the most sedentary occupations, one where permanent habits of sitting are formed. However, there is much more concern regarding office furniture. The mismatch between students and school furniture is likely to result in a number of negative effects, such as uncomfortable body posture, pain, and ultimately, it may also affect the learning process. This situation has provoked an increased concern about school classrooms, particularly regarding the study and design of school furniture. An important milestone is setting standards for school furniture, where a series of furniture sizes are defined with the aim of accommodating students with different anthropometric dimensions. Despite that, and with the exception of Europe, where the development of school furniture standards has been most actively pursued, there is a lack of standardization for the design of classroom furniture for educational settings in many countries. The aim of this study is to describe the process of designing school furniture by considering the students' anthropometric data. The adopted methodology was to perform a literature review regarding different issues, such as setting standard, the design of school furniture, and equations for defining the mismatch between students and school furniture. There are some activities that need to be done before starting to gather the anthropometric measurements. These activities include, for example, identifying the target population, defining the sample size, determining the anthropometric measures, preparing the evaluation team(s), and obtaining the approval from the ethics committee. During the anthropometric measurements it is important to follow a standard procedure, where the measures are collected from the right side of the subjects while they are sitting in a standard position, without shoes and using light clothes. After collecting the measurements, it is important to check the data by using: observation of mean, minimum and maximum values, as well as the calculation of the different measures (for example: Buttock knee length -Buttock popliteal length), and observation of scatter plot graphics of stature with the other variables. To determine the dimensions and characteristics of different types of school furniture, seat height should be the starting point and the designs need to be based on a bottom-top approach. This dimension will split the sample in, at least, five different sizes of school furniture to accommodate students from 6 to 18 years of age. Some characteristics of the furniture have to also be considered, since the presence of a drawer will influence two important dimensionsthe desk height and the seat to desk clearance. Finally, special attention should be given to the needed anthropometric measurement for furniture size selection. This is usually done by using Stature; however, some authors suggest that furniture selection can be done

Applied Ergonomics, 2013

The study evaluated the potential mismatch between classroom furniture dimensions and anthropometric characteristics of 978 Iranian high school students (498 girls, 480 boys), aged 15e18 years. Nine anthropometric measurements (stature, sitting height, sitting shoulder height, popliteal height, hip breadth, elboweseat height, buttockepopliteal length, buttockeknee length and thigh clearance) and five dimensions from the existing classroom furniture were measured and then compared together (using match criterion equations) to identify any potential mismatch between them. The results indicated a considerable mismatch between body dimensions of the students and the existing classroom furniture, with seat height (60.9%), seat width (54.7%) and desktop height (51.7%) being the furniture dimensions with a higher level of mismatch. The levels of mismatch varied between the high-school grade levels and between genders, indicating their special requirements and possible problems. The proposed dimensions of the classroom furniture more appropriate for the students were given. This additional information on students' anthropometry can be used by local furniture industries as a starting point for designing more appropriate furniture for school children, or used by schools to aid in furniture selection.

2016

This study examines the comfort level of furniture in Arts Education laboratory. It was conducted to investigate the relationship between furniture comfort and the students achievement. This research use mix method model (qualitative and Quantitative design), study using anthropometrics and ergonomics theory to analyse the data. How anthropometrics and ergonomics dimensions vary between students is the main problems in this study. The findings of the study states that the ergonomics and anthropometrics dimension among the students has a value of X (mean) under 395-490 mm Standard International (recommendation: Dreyfuss , 1959, Nurmianto , Eko.1991 ). With a standard deviation of 1.96, the 2.5 percentile and 97.5 percentile are still in the normal range 34.7-45.7 cm (Data Table 4.7 and Table 4.8: Force student-dimensional anthropometrics 20122013). Furniture Design in Arts Education Studio has not considered the use of body dimension for the students using it. Therefore the students ...

Health Scope, 2018

Background: Proper designing of chairs based on ergonomics increases efficiency, promotes quality of education, leads to correct posture in students, and reduces risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Objectives: The aim of this study was to design and develop an ergonomic chair, based on anthropometric data of students in educational settings. Methods: Anthropometric parameters were obtained from a stratified-random sample of 207 students. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 20 software, and the results were extracted as mean, standard deviation, and percentiles. The chair was planned in the CATIA software and developed by a three-dimensional print. Results: In this study, an ergonomic chair was designed based on anthropometric data from students. The seat height, depth, and width of the chair were determined as 44 cm, 42 cm, and 42.15 cm, respectively. The height of the desk was adjustable in 19 to 29 cm, and the depth and length of the desk were considered as 51 cm and 65 cm. The width and height of the backrest were also 54 cm and 44 cm, and the backrest angle was adjustable in 95°to 105°. Conclusions: An ergonomic chair with adjustable parts was designed to achieve a well-match between anthropometric characteristics of students and the furniture. Such chair can reduce musculoskeletal disorders in students. Some ergonomic characteristics of this chair include adjustability of footrest, backrest, armrests, and desk. A chair with such characteristic can be used by many students with different body sizes.

It can be observed an increased concern about the school classrooms, in particular about the study and design of school furniture fitting the students' needs and anthropometrics characteristics. The main aim of this study was to perform an anthropometric survey, considering the main anthropometric dimensions and, in accordance, to define the dimensions and characteristics of school furniture for Portuguese students of the 1st education cycle using valuable and validated ergonomic criteria. The analyzed sample includes, so far, 432 students. Obtained results seem to reinforce the need to consider the specificity of the anthropometric characteristics of the Portuguese students by adding an extra size mark for school furniture in a future revision of the corresponding standard.

International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH, 2019

An anthropometric survey of Federal University of Technology Owerri students was carried out in order to determine the anthropometric data needed for proper design of seats used in the classroom. A total of four hundred students, of different gender and level were involved in the survey and their anthropometric measurement were taken and recorded with the help of anthropometric tools. The anthropometric measurements taken were, Stature, sitting height, sitting shoulder height, Popliteal height, Hip breadth, Elbow rest height, Buttock popliteal length, Buttock knee length, Thigh clearance, Sitting eye height, Shoulder breadth and Knee height. The data obtained were analysed using SPSS, Excel and Minitab statistical packages to get the mean, standard deviation and percentiles. Comparing the dimensions of the existing furniture with the anthropometric measures obtained revealed that the existing furniture are not ergonomically suitable for the students. Using the results of the analyse...

2021

Introduction : School tables and chairs are needed amongst many other facilities which support the teaching and learning activities. Uncomfortable tables and chairs can cause health problems. The purpose of this study is to design school table and chair sizes in accordance with anthropometry of elementary school students, so the tables and chairs do not cause health problems for children. Methods : The population used in this study was 72 students of elementary school students in Surabaya, and the sample size was 61 students. The sampling method used in this research was a simple random sampling. The anthropometric data measured were shoulder height in the sitting position, elbow height in the sitting position, popliteal-buttock length, knee height, popliteal height, shoulder width, and distance from elbow to fingertips. Meanwhile, the dimensions of tables and chairs measured were chair height, chair width, back length, back height, table height, table width, and underneath desk hei...

Advances in Human Factors and Ergonomics Series, 2010

This study has been carried out to evaluate the number of mismatches between secondary girl student's anthropometry and existing furniture dimensions in Bangladesh. In this study, 375 students (girls) are in classes 6-10 in the age group between 10-15 years that have randomly selected from three secondary girl schools in Bangladesh. Twelve anthropometric measurements and seven existing furniture dimensions were taken to find out the possible mismatch. A defined match criterion equation used to determine the mismatch. Various researchers gave these equations. The result indicates that there is a significant mismatch between anthropometric measurement and furniture dimensions. The highest mismatch percentage for seat height is about 90% for class 9. Therefore, 90% of girls use the seat that is too high (high mismatch). Mismatch percentage for seat depth is 100% for all classes. As a result, seat depth is so small for all students. Seat width is 100% for class 8 and 60% for class 9. The desktop height is about 100% mismatch for all classes. This paper also proposes dimensions for new furniture. The new furniture improves the match percentages from 50% to 100%.