Discrepancy between pupils' body and classroom furniture in elementary schools: A case study in the Republic of Kosovo.
Rrahim Sejdiu, Blertë Sylejmani, Lulzim Idrizi and 2 others
PMID 35912783WHAT IT FOUND
Most Kosovo primary school children did not fit their classroom furniture.
Only 8,2% matched seat height, and no pupils matched desk height. Younger grades had the largest mismatches.
Key findings
01Only 8,2% of children in grades I to V had body dimensions that fit the seat height, and first graders showed an absolute discrepancy.
02The measured desk height was 76,0 cm, and no pupil had body dimensions that fit the current desk height.
03Only 0,7% of second graders fit the seat height, while 28,5% of fifth graders fit it.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study measured body dimensions and furniture dimensions, not posture, pain, fatigue, learning, or function, so it does not show that the mismatch caused symptoms. The sample was limited to public schools in four regions of Kosovo and to pupils in the afternoon shift, so it may not represent other schools, countries, or morning-shift classrooms. The authors state the findings can be a good indicator and a general study for all countries, but that generalization is not tested by the data. The furniture in the sampled schools had approximately the same design and dimensions, and the table height was fixed at 76,0 cm, so the results may not apply to other furniture. The paper reports Cronbach's alpha for anthropometric measurements, but this does not demonstrate clinical outcomes or treatment effects.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest were reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that changing school furniture has been shown to reduce pain or improve posture. The study compared body dimensions with furniture dimensions and did not measure symptoms, posture, or learning outcomes.