Cervical erector spinae and upper trapezius muscle activity in children using different information technologies

Abstract Objectives Researchers investigating the effects of computer use and the development of musculoskeletal disorders have mainly focused on the effects of prolonged muscle loading associated with postures assumed during computer use in the adult population. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different forms of old and new information technology (IT) on muscle activity levels in a paediatric population. Design A 3 × 3 × 2 mixed model design was used for this study. Participants Thirty-two schoolchildren aged 4–17 years participated in this study. Outcome measures Surface electromyography (EMG) data were collected from the left and right cervical erector spinae and upper trapezius muscles. Participants performed a 5-minutes reading task using the three IT types (book, laptop and desktop computer). Results Cervical erector spinae and upper trapezius muscle activity levels were significantly higher when children used the laptop set-up ( P P  = 0.047 and Conclusions The three IT types had different effects on cervical erector spinae and upper trapezius muscle activity, suggesting varying risks associated with different IT types. Activity levels were often above 5% maximum EMG (MEMG). As adult studies have linked activity levels greater than 5%MEMG with the development of musculoskeletal disorders, it seems that children are potentially at risk of replicating these adverse health reactions associated with adult IT use.