Comparison of Perceived Musculoskeletal Discomfort Among Six Common Postures for Laptop Use in Female Students

Purpose: The present study aimed to compare Musculoskeletal Discomforts (MSDs) among six different common postures while working with laptop in female students of University of Tehran, Tehran City, Iran. Methods: This was a crossover trial study. Eighteen female students voluntarily and purposefully participated in all stages of the study. The study participants were randomly assigned into groups to work for 10 minutes on different postures for laptop use during six continuous nights. MSDs was measured each night after 10 minutes of laptop use. For this purpose, Van der Grinten and Smith (1992) method was applied. The obtained data were analyzed by repeated measures one-way ANOVA at a significance level of P≤0.05, in SPSS. Results: The obtained results suggested a significant difference among six working postures in MSDs (P=0.005). The results of Bonferroni post hoc analysis revealed that the highest level of MSDs was observed in a cross-legged sitting position on the floor. While, the lowest level of MSDs was found in the sitting on a chair posture. In addition, the study participants who used a desk in order to increase the height of the laptop, reported less levels of MSDs than laptop use in the cross-legged position on the floor (P=0.039) or sitting on the bed (P=0.011). Conclusion: According to this study, in order to minimize MSDs during working with laptop, it is recommended to use desk and chairs instead of sitting cross-legged on the floor or bed.