Where and How College Students Use Their Laptop Computers

Chang, Che-Hsu Joe; Amick, Benjamin C.; Menéndez, Cammie Chaumont; Robertson, Michelle M.; Pino, Rosa J. del; Dennerlein, Jack

doi:10.1177/154193120805201503

Cited by 9 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In partial agreement with findings by Chang, Amick, Menendez, Robertson and del Pino and Dennerlein 18 who indicate that all college students' (n=54) RULA scores during the use of a laptop in different positions ranged between two (negligible risk) to four (low risk), results from the current study indicated that most participants fell within the low risk postural category. The difference in results is that in the current study five out of 72 participants scored in the medium risk category and one participant scored in the very high risk category.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Postural risks and musculoskeletal discomfort of three preferred positions during laptop use amongst students

Hough¹,

Nel²

2017

S. Afr. j. occup. ther

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Postural risks and musculoskeletal discomfort of three preferred positions during laptop use amongst students

Hough¹,

Nel²

2017

S. Afr. j. occup. ther

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Results from this study confirm findings by Chang et al 4 , De Beer 22 and Bowman et al 3 that indicate laptops to be the preferred technological device for educational purposes amongst university students. (see Table 1).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

“…In a study amongst 154 college students, Chang and colleagues found that 88% of the population in the United States of America owned a laptop and that a growing number of students prefer to make use of laptop computers instead of desktop computers 4 . .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time and space dimensions of computer laptop use amongst third year students of the University of the Free State

Hough

Nel

2016

S. Afr. j. occup. ther

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2310-3833/2016/v46n1a7 South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2016 46 (1): 27-32. ISSN On-line 2310-3833 INTRODUCTIONTechnology is an undeniable and crucial part of modern day living 1,2 . The demands and burdens of this fast-paced lifestyle can be made lighter with the aid of quick access provided by portable devices such as laptops. Bowman, Braswell, and Cohan 3 stated that computer usage has shifted in the last decade from desktops to laptops, especially among college and graduate students.In a study amongst 154 college students, Chang and colleagues found that 88% of the population in the United States of America owned a laptop and that a growing number of students prefer to make use of laptop computers instead of desktop computers 4 . . This finding is supported by the Pew Research Centre and the American Life Project who indicated that 88% of undergraduate college students made use of laptops in 2010 5. Results from these studies confirmed that, due to the convenient size and portability, the laptop was, second to the smartphone, the preferred choice of all technological devices amongst students. No previous studies were done in the South African context on the use of laptops amongst university students. Within the Student Computers and Networks (SCAN) initiative, the University of the Free State joined forces with twelve other universities to implement the "Student Laptop Initiative" 6 . The aim of this project is to provide a laptop to every first-year student who registers at the University of the Free State. Evidence from literature indicates concern regarding the effects that laptop use has on the human body 8 . Straker, O'Sullivan, Smith 9 and Gold, Driban and Yingling 10 investigated the deviation from ideal posture associated with laptop use and confirmed the positive relation between the use of laptops and the compromising effects on the human body, such as musculo-skeletal disorders (MSD's). Although assuming an awkward posture is known to put laptop users at high risk of MSDs, other risk factors must also be considered, such as working over a prolonged period of time, having insufficient rests in between work sessions, and maintaining a static work posture 11 . From an occupational performance perspective, the study reported in this paper focussed on the components of time and space when students use laptop computers, as these components are still under-reported in the research domain. Pierce 12 classifies these components as temporal and spatial dimensions within the context of occupational participation.Important dimensions of the spatial context of occupation include the objects that a person uses, as well as the conceptualisation of spaces in which occupation takes place. The design of the current laptop computers have a screen attached to the keyboard. This design presents a severe restriction to the user in choosing a comfortable position to work from. Laptop use encourages postural mal-alignment such as forward flexion of the neck and hea...

show abstract

“…Chang et al (2008) found that up to 88% of college students own a laptop computer, with 82% using a laptop exclusively over a desktop. Laptop computers are ideal for student use because of their small size and portability.…”

Section: Risk Factors Associated With Laptop Computer Usementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a pilot study aimed at identifying and examining popular workstation configurations utilized by college students, Chang et al (2008) performed a postural analysis on photographs of students using laptop computers in various self-selected set ups including: sitting at a table in a chair, sitting on a bed with a laptop on the lap, lying on a bed with a laptop on the bed, sitting on a chair with a laptop on the lap, and sitting on a lounge-style couch with a laptop on the lap. The The additional body positions that were analyzed in this study were the three most frequently identified positions by the participants.…”

Section: Laptop Use In Alternative Configurationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postural Risks Associated with Laptop Use on a Bed

Bubric

2014

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study consists of a survey and experiment to identify the postural risks associated with laptop use in non-traditional work settings. The survey gauged the prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort among 186 college students, and also identified the configurations in which male and female students most frequently use laptop computers. Previous work suggests that females report a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort associated with laptop use than males, and the results of the survey confirmed this, but only for neck and shoulder discomfort. Differences in how males and females reported working were also revealed, with females more likely to use a laptop positioned on the lap and also while sitting with their legs crossed. Males, on the other hand, were more likely to report using a laptop while sitting in positions that required large trunk deviations, such as bending over a coffee table or to the side.The experiment, which was based on the survey findings, explored the reasons why females reported experiencing more frequent neck and shoulder discomfort when using a laptop than did males. It was hypothesized that this was because females use laptop computers more frequently in deviated postures. Three configurations that females reported working in more frequently than males in the survey were selected for testing, each within the context of a bed/mattress. Postural analysis and discomfort data was collected for 36 participants (18 males, 18 females) performing a 25-minute typing task in each of the three conditions to determine whether these configurations placed the participants in highly deviated postures. Gender comparisons of postural deviation and self-reported discomfort ratings after completion of a typing task in each position were made.Both male and female participants reported very low levels of discomfort in each of the three conditions, and there was no significant gender difference. Participants displayed highly deviated postures, particularly in the neck, shoulders, and wrists, in all three conditions and there were few gender differences. Any gender differences that were discovered were not consistently in favor of one gender. Males had a slight tendency to work in more deviated postures than females, however both genders were in undesirable postures for much of the experiment.It is most likely that any increased prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort in females compared to males is due to their choice of working configuration, rather than inherent differences in posture. However, there are a number of other factors that may account for any gender differences in musculoskeletal discomfort, including the finding that females report spending more hours per week using a computer. Further study to identify the contribution of each factor, both in males and females, would be valuable in order to understand the impact that working configuration has on musculoskeletal discomfort and injury i BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Katherine Bubric was born in Calgary, Alberta, where she received a ...

show abstract

Where and How College Students Use Their Laptop Computers

Cited by 9 publications

References 9 publications

Postural risks and musculoskeletal discomfort of three preferred positions during laptop use amongst students

Postural risks and musculoskeletal discomfort of three preferred positions during laptop use amongst students

Time and space dimensions of computer laptop use amongst third year students of the University of the Free State

Postural Risks Associated with Laptop Use on a Bed

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About