Potential risk factors and musculoskeletal symptoms among the mobile computing workforce utilizing laptop computers in hotel, home, and automobile environments /
A cross-sectional study of laptop computer users was performed to determine-nine demographic, in . jury/illness and usage patterns. A survey was developed and distributed by paper copy, cot-computer diskette and on the Internet to members of tile mobile computing workforce. The survey solicited re...
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
1998.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=737708381&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | A cross-sectional study of laptop computer users was performed to determine-nine demographic, in . jury/illness and usage patterns. A survey was developed and distributed by paper copy, cot-computer diskette and on the Internet to members of tile mobile computing workforce. The survey solicited responses oil questions concerning potential occupational, nonoccupational, personal and psychosocial risk factors associated with laptop computer usage, particularly in non-traditional working environments such as hotels, the home and ill automobiles, and the development of upper extremity i-musculoskeletal symptoms. Four hundred forty laptop users responded to the survey. of which approximately 80 % were male. Overall, more female laptop users (54.0 %) tended to report Symptoms of recent pain or discomfort than i-male laptop users (42.9 %, p = 0.0638), particularly for the neck, back and shoulders. Approximately one-half (46.8 %) of tile laptop respondents reported using the computer both in hotel and hot-home environments. Another '-18.4 % reported using tile laptop only in the home environments. The two most common types of soft ware used were word processing (26.8 %), and CO[communications software (20.6 Computer software and peripherals usage patterns changed with the permanence of location of laptop use. 'The most common peripherals were AC converters, fax/modems and printers. Laptop users who had reported recent paiii or discomfort were more likely to report a more negative rating of the work environment from both physical and organizational standpoints. Laptop computer users in the home and hotel environments cited the need for adjustable, or ergonomic, chairs and workstations to better accommodate the mobile computing workforce. Overall, this survey population of laptop computer users reported a lower prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms (10. 5 %) than those reported in studies of video display terminal operators within various industries (approximately 40 %). |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Interdisciplinary Engineering". |
| Physical Description: | xiii, 147 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilms Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references: pages 95-98. |