Zeitschrift für Ergonomie
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Design of School Furniture for First- to Sixth-Grade Classrooms in Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Hari Purnomo, Fajriyanto and Rina Mulyati

This study aims to design seats and desks for elementary school students in Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia so that these pieces of furniture are fashioned in accordance with the anthropometry of first to sixth graders. The designs are divided into three groups: the Group 1 category is for first and second graders; Group 2 is for third and fourth graders; and Group 3 is for fifth and sixth graders. The designs were created to improve on previous seat and desk designs that are considered inappropriate for students’ anthropometry. Seat and desk sizes were determined based on anthropometric data. The specific data used for the designs are stature, sitting elbow height, sitting shoulder height, popliteal height, knee height, buttock-popliteal length, shoulder breadth, hip breadth, and upper limb length. Results indicate that differences in bodily proportions among first and second graders, third and fourth graders, and fifth and sixth graders necessitate seat and desk designs that are specific to each group. Musculoskeletal assessment tests were conducted using the Nordic body map to ascertain which of the designs are suitable for the students. The test results show that the previous and new designs significantly differ in terms of musculoskeletal discomfort (p<0.05).