Mobile input device type, texting style and screen size influence upper extremity and trapezius muscle activity, and cervical posture while texting

Publication Date

2015

Journal Title

Appl Ergon

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effects of input device type, texting style, and screen size on upper extremity and trapezius muscle activity and cervical posture during a short texting task in college students. Users of a physical keypad produced greater thumb, finger flexor, and wrist extensor muscle activity than when texting with a touch screen device of similar dimensions. Texting on either device produced greater wrist extensor muscle activity when texting with 1 hand/thumb compared with both hands/thumbs. As touch screen size increased, more participants held the device on their lap, and chose to use both thumbs less. There was also a trend for greater finger flexor, wrist extensor, and trapezius muscle activity as touch screen size increased, and for greater cervical flexion, although mean differences for cervical flexion were small. Future research can help inform whether the ergonomic stressors observed during texting are associated with musculoskeletal disorder risk. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Volume Number

50

Pages

98-104

Document Type

Article

EPub Date

2015/05/12

Status

Faculty

Facility

School of Medicine

Primary Department

Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention

PMID

25959323

DOI

10.1016/j.apergo.2015.03.003

Comments

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