Factors influencing sitting comfort and in-chair movement in the office environment

Seated subjects move (i.e. fidget) in reaction to prolonged, fixed postures. The hypothesis that this seated movement correlates with perceived discomfort (PD) has not been rigorously tested. The purpose of my doctoral research was to measure in-chair movement (ICM) as an objective correlate of sitting discomfort and examine the effect of workplace factors and ergonomic interventions on ICM and PD in an on-site study of healthy, computer-based telephone operators. I measured ICM by tracking the center of pressure (COP) at the buttock-chair interface with an interface pressure mat. Perceived exertion, workload, and PD were measured with validated rating scales. Data were tested (...