Pcs A Health Risk For Pupils
The Age
Wednesday December 4, 2002
As computer use grows, so do the risks of long-term back and neck problems, reports Jenny Sinclair.
CHILDREN who use computers for extended periods are setting themselves up for possible back and neck problems later in life, a Melbourne ergonomics conference heard last week.
Curtin University of Technology physiotherapist and researcher Andrew Briggs told the Human Factors 2002 conference that with about 94 per cent of Australian children using computers in school, according to Bureau of Statistics figures, the classroom was becoming the ``primary environment" for children's use of information technology.
And with all the emphasis on curriculum, ``ergonomics can be overlooked", he said.
He said Western Australian research had found that children in some schools with laptop computer programs were using them for an average of 3.2 hours a day and up to 11 hours a day in some cases.
Mr Briggs was speaking at a panel session on physical and cognitive usability of technology in the classroom.
Computers in general were contributing to children's more sedentary habits, he said, with computer use running only second to television as a leisure time activity. Describing the statistics as ``alarming," he said that up to 60 per cent of children in another WA study had been found to be already developing musculoskeletal problems. ``The risk . . . from IT use is real," he said.
Causes of problems included holding the head, neck and body in a static position for a long time, over-extension of small muscles at the base of the skull, which could cause pain and headache, and poor blood flow, which made it harder for muscles to repair themselves.
Poor posture held for long periods would lead to changes in muscle lengths that would ``lock in" the bad positioning and be difficult to correct, he said.
Damage to vision caused by holding a focus close up was also becoming a problem, he said, noting that laptop screens were generally used closer to the eyes than conventional computer screens.
Increased use of laptops meant ``it may be possible that this epidemic may get worse," Mr Briggs said.
There had been few studies specifically of children, but some research carried out by Curtin University found that children using computers had a 5 per cent muscle contraction rate, which was at a level considered risky.
Individualising workstations to fit the child helped, but more research into effects and possible solutions was needed, he said.
Eltham College principal Dr David Warner told the session that children were increasingly using computers at home, and teaching each other how to use technology rather than turning to adults for advice. This could result in bizarre computer-using positions as several children crowded around one screen.
``Don't just think in terms of schools and computers on desks," he told the audience of specialists. Dr Jan Willem Elkhuizen, of Dutch ergonomics company Bakker Elkhuizen, said laptops in particular promoted poor posture, as it was almost impossible to have a good screen position and a good keyboard position at the same time.
The tests, which were conducted on 24-year-old and 42-year-old adults, found a marked increase in both perceived and measurable ease of use when the laptop was placed in a special angled holder and a separate keyboard and mouse were used.
The holders doubled as document holders, keeping material in line with the head rather than on the side.
The result was a lower level of muscle strain and fewer user complaints, he said. Backs were kept at a straighter angle and the neck was less cramped. Users were also more productive and made fewer mistakes. Dr Elkhuizen said that European Union regulations limited the amount of time workers could be expected to work on laptops.
Challenged by an audience member, Dr Elkhuizen agreed that it was better to redesign laptops so they didn't cause the problems in the first place, but said that in the absence of well-designed machines, the holders were the best option. He said later that touch-typing, which was easy for young people to learn, could also contribute to more ergonomically correct computer use.
Dr Warner said his experience at Eltham College suggested that ``this is a far more complex problem than organising some chairs and (document) holders". He said that children had always adopted unhealthy positions, curled up with books or leaning over model work or jigsaws, for instance. He hoped that the focus on the effects of new technology would lead to better solutions.
© 2002 The Age
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