TY - JOUR
T1 - Comfort and discomfort during smartphone use on a bed
AU - Udomboonyanupap, Sumalee
AU - Boess, Stella
AU - Ribeiro Monteiro, Luciana
AU - Vink, Peter
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - BACKGROUND: The number of smartphone users is immense. People can do ever more with a smartphone. Smartphones are used everywhere, including in bed and on the sofa. The awkward postures taken in these situations affect comfort and discomfort. In designing a bed, it might be useful to know which position is comfortable for smartphone use on a bed. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to define the most comfortable trunk angle for smartphone use on a bed. METHODS: To study comfort and discomfort, 52 participants were asked to use the smartphone on a bed. The trunk angle of this bed was adjusted to 6 positions from flat to upright and for each angle the comfort and discomfort was recorded. RESULTS: The results showed that the participants prefer a trunk angle range around 120 and 142 degrees. At the best trunk angle 29% of the participants felt comfort in the legs, 25% in the upper back and 16% in the shoulders. However, in this position 36% also mentioned discomfort in the lower back and 24 % in the neck. CONCLUSIONS: For smartphone use a bed is preferable which enables a trunk angle of around 120-140 degrees. For the legs this is comfortable. However, for the neck and upper back the problem of discomfort still needs attention.
AB - BACKGROUND: The number of smartphone users is immense. People can do ever more with a smartphone. Smartphones are used everywhere, including in bed and on the sofa. The awkward postures taken in these situations affect comfort and discomfort. In designing a bed, it might be useful to know which position is comfortable for smartphone use on a bed. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to define the most comfortable trunk angle for smartphone use on a bed. METHODS: To study comfort and discomfort, 52 participants were asked to use the smartphone on a bed. The trunk angle of this bed was adjusted to 6 positions from flat to upright and for each angle the comfort and discomfort was recorded. RESULTS: The results showed that the participants prefer a trunk angle range around 120 and 142 degrees. At the best trunk angle 29% of the participants felt comfort in the legs, 25% in the upper back and 16% in the shoulders. However, in this position 36% also mentioned discomfort in the lower back and 24 % in the neck. CONCLUSIONS: For smartphone use a bed is preferable which enables a trunk angle of around 120-140 degrees. For the legs this is comfortable. However, for the neck and upper back the problem of discomfort still needs attention.
KW - bed
KW - Comfort
KW - discomfort
KW - posture
KW - smartphone
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099389873&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3233/WOR-208022
DO - 10.3233/WOR-208022
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85099389873
VL - 68
SP - S245-S249
JO - Work: a journal of prevention, assessment & rehabilitation
JF - Work: a journal of prevention, assessment & rehabilitation
SN - 1051-9815
IS - s1
ER -