A quantitative study of the value of ergonomic training at a Middle Eastern post secondary institution

Hickey, Pauline (2015) A quantitative study of the value of ergonomic training at a Middle Eastern post secondary institution. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The use of portable, compact technology is prevalent in today’s society, particularly among the student population. It would be assumed that the more a user of this technology is aware of ergonomic principles and safe usage then the lower the risk of mobile technology related musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs). Unfortunately, many users do not have the knowledge to successfully employ these technologies safely and comfortably. A study was carried out at the College of the North Atlantic, Qatar campus (CNA-Q) in three stages: 1) to determine mobility usage prevalence and associated musculoskeletal risk factors, 2) identification of a suitable introductory ergonomics training program, and 3) identification of a suitable delivery method of the ergonomics training program (instructor-led versus web-based learning). Results of the study found that of students who use mobile technology improper postures were adopted approximately 100% of the time. To assist in decreasing the probability of future soft tissue injuries, an Introduction to Ergonomics program was selected and delivered to students. Upon comparison of the presentation formats, the students who received the information by a teacher retained the greatest amount of information (as compared to the group that received the information via the web and those that received no training) in the short-term (immediately following the training session). However, there was no statistically significant difference in retention among the three groups after one month following the training.

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