Anthropometric survey among Turkish primary school children

Applied Ergonomics 1991, 22.1, 55-56 Technical Note

Anthropometric survey among Turkish primary school children B. Kayis*and A.F. Ozok t *Assistant Professor, The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey, The Building Research Institute, Ankara, 06531, Turkey tProfessor, Istanbul Technical University, Industrial Engineering Department, Macka, Istanbul, Turkey

can be seen, stature differs among the nations, and this variation is true for other anthropometric measurements also.

Introduction The purpose of the study was to:

l. Determine the anthropometric measures of primary school children to enable design of furniture, fittings and equipment, in order to minimise musculo-skeletal, visual and circulatory problems, resulting from using designs that are not ergonom/c.

Method

Anthropometric measurements are often used in ergonomic design. Comfortable working, seating, listening, etc, must involve anatomical, physiological and biomechanical considerations of the human body. Unless anthropometric measurements of the user population are known, physiological psychological and postural problems are inevitable.

In the study from which the present data were taken (Kayis and (3zok, 1987), a random selection of 3584 children from primary schools in Ankara acted as subjects (1800 boys and 1784 girls). The schools sampled were selected randomly after using a stratified sampling method to subdivide on a basis of geographical location and socio-economic status. Within each school selected, children were measured randomly. Thirteen anthropometric measures were recorded, as well as information regarding such features as weight, age, city of birth and class. Ages are considerably mixed in each of the five classes.

In Table 1, the stature of children of different nationalities, aged 6 to 13 years, is given (Kaylis, 1988). As

Weight was recorded to the nearest 0.5 kg by means of Krups scales which were constantly checked for accuracy.

2. Specify ergonomics requirements of designs relevant to primary school children.

Table 1: Stature of children in different countries

Age Country United States England Venezuela Iran Japan Sri Lanka Philippines Thailand India Indonesia Egypt Nigeria Brazil Austria China Turkey

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

112"9 111 "0 110"8 109"0 1 11 "8

123"0 123"0 120"0 120"0 118"0 116"0 115"0 114"0 112"0 110.0 116"2 112"4 123"0 113"8 120"8 115"7

130"0 128"0 126"0 124"0 124"0 122"0 116"0 119"0 117"0 113"0 121 "0 116"1 130"0 118"9 125"4 121 "0

135"0 133"0 131 "0 130"0 129"0 126"0 122"0 123"0 122"0 118"0 125"4 119"3 137"8 124"7 129"8 126"0

141 "0 139"0 138"0 135"0 134"0 132"0 125"0 128"0 127"0 122"0 131 "1 125"7 139"2 129"8 135"0 131 "4

147"0 144"0 142"0 141,0 140"0 138"0 134"0 133"0 132"0 127"0 133"3 129"8 147"4 134"6 139"1 136"0

151 "0 149"0 147"0 146"0 146"0 143"0 138"0 138"0 137"0 131"0 138"9 133"3 150"0 139"2 145"2 139"2

157"0 155"0 152"0 152"0 152"0 149"0 142"0 144"0 142"0 136"0 142"0

0003-6870/91/01 0055-02 $03.00 ©1991 Butterworth-HeinemannLtd

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Subjects wore only light pants, and other anthropometric measures were recorded in centirnetres to the nearest 0.1 cm, by means of a GmbH Anthropometer. The subject stood erect in the anatomical position, except that the palms of the hands faced inwards, with heels, buttocks, shoulders and posterior portion of the scalp resting against the wall. Results

The survey established the measurements shown in Table 2 (Kayis and Ozok, 1987). Data are available by school class also but these are difficult to interpret due to there being between four and six different age groups in each class.

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Percentiles, skewness, kurtosis, mean and standard deviation values of each anthropometric measure with respect to age, class and sex, have been prepared, and are available in Kayls and (3zok (1987).

tOI

The results of the study will be used to: • Develop ergonornic designs. tO;

• Establish standards for furniture. • Develop space allowances for various activities, appropriate to the present-day educational system.

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In order to provide the majority of children with furniture best suited to their anthropometric and physiological requirements, different sizes for each five classes should be recommended. But, because of difficulties encountered during:

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(a) the changing pattern of age groups in individual classes,

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(b) economic considerations in the manufacture of varying sizes of furniture, and

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(c) distribution of furniture to students according to their class and age, in the next project which used the results of this project, a 'standard size of furniture' in every classroom, covering the majority of the students, was proposed. Thus, besides five standard sizes of furniture to each class, covering ages between 6 and 13 years, two and three different sizes of school furniture for each class were proposed, especially considering economical and practical situations (Kayis, 1988).

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References to

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Kayis, B., and Ozok, A. 1987, An anthropometric survey on Turkish primary school children. The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey, h 128, Ankara. Kayis, B. 1988, Application of anthropometric data to designs relevant to primary school children. The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey, a67, Ankara.

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