The effect of posture, pressure and load distribution on (dis)comfort perceived by students seated on school chairs

Abstract

The study of ergonomics and (dis)comfort is a major topic of interest to scientific literature since the introduction of ISO 11228. Over the past 30 years, researchers have attempted to understand the mechanisms underlying perceptions of (dis)comfort for a seated subject. Three main factors are recognized as paramount for the comfort performance of a seat: human body posture, pressure at interface, and load distribution on the contact area; this study investigates the relationships between them and examines their significance for (dis)comfort perception. Physiological factors are known to play a role in (dis)comfort perception, and we consider these as a consequence of the three main parameters above. An explanation is given for this hypothesis. Experimental tests were conducted using a school chair with a rigid seat pan and no armrests for reducing the number of factors of influence. Conclusions show the levels of correlation between acquired information and perceived (dis)comfort.