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

Journal article (2018)

Authors

A. Naddeo University of Salerno
Rosaria Califano University of Salerno
P. Vink Applied Ergonomics and Design - IDE
Research Group
Applied Ergonomics and Design (IDE) (TU Delft)
User experience Comfort Posture Seating School furniture
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Published Date

2018

Language

English

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Faculty

Industrial Design Engineering

Department

Human-Centered Design

Research Group

Applied Ergonomics and Design

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.