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.
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.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
30
The intervention will include adjustable school furniture.
Carpenter High School Skofja Loka
Škofja Loka, Slovenia
Change of weekly physical activity levels
Weekly physical activity levels will be measured with accelerometers.
Time frame: 5 days
Change of sitting time
Weekly sitting time will be measured with accelerometers.
Time frame: 5 days
Adolescent Sedentary Activity Questionnaire
The Adolescent Sedentary Activity Questionnaire is used to subjectively assess sedentary behavior. Students are asked to think about a normal week, during school term, and to report how long they usually spent engaged in 11 different sedentary behaviors before and after school on each day of the week and on each day of the weekend. If two activities occurred at the same time (e.g., one hour in front of the television doing homework) the students are asked to estimate how much time was spent on each activity during that time (e.g., 45 min television and 15 min homework). Time spent in each category is calculated and time is also summed across categories to yield the total time per week spent in sedentary behavior. Higher outcome values present longer time in sedentary behavior (worse outcome).
Time frame: Baseline and after 5 days.
Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents
Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents is used to subjectively assess physical activity levels. The questionnaire addresses a habitual week. It consists of three sections, including physical activity in school, during transportation and leisure-time. Each section is further divided into different activity categories. School section: physical education and breaks between lessons. Transportation section: walking and cycling at least 10 minutes at a stretch. Leisure-time section: activities at least 10 min long. A measure of physical activity is then reached by multiplying the time spent for each activity with the corresponding metabolic equivalent (MET-value). Higher outcome value is better, since it indicates a higher level of physical activity and MET values.
Time frame: Baseline and after 5 days
Anthropometric measurements of the students performed with anthropometer
Anthropometric measurements will be performed to obtain the main measures that are needed to evaluate the user-furniture mismatch. All the measures will be taken with standard anthropometer, the unit of measure will be centimeter. We will measure Popliteal height, Buttock-popliteal length, Subscapular height, Thigh thickness. Elbow height sitting, Shoulder height sitting. With the measures obtained we will calculate the furniture mismatch for the following: Seat height, Seat depth, Seat to desk clearance, Desk height, Seat width, Upper edge of backrest. Higher percentage of the mismatch between the student's anthropometric measures and furniture indicates a worse outcome.
Time frame: Baseline
Sitting posture
The sitting posture will be evaluated with RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment) tool.
Time frame: Baseline and after 5 days
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