Potentially problematic postures during work site keyboard use.

OBJECTIVE We described the frequency and distribution of keyboard users' potentially risky postural behaviors. METHOD Forty-three participants' keyboard postural behaviors were rated with the Keyboard-Personal Computer Style instrument (Baker & Redfern, 2005). The frequency and distribution of keyboard postural behaviors and the associations and differences between the right and left sides were assessed. RESULTS Generally, each static posture had one criterion that occurred frequently, whereas dynamic postures were distributed throughout the criteria. The right and left sides were significantly associated for shoulder flexion, elbow flexion, hand displacement, wrist extension, forearm rotation, isolated fifth digit, metacarpophalangeal hyperextension, and wrist support use and significantly different for hand displacement, isolated thumb, number of digits, and metacarpophalangeal hyperextension. CONCLUSION Potentially problematic postural behaviors are common among keyboard users. Our results suggest that occupational therapists must systematically assess postures on both the right and the left sides to develop the most effective intervention strategies.