Comparisons of Work Habits, Computer Peripherals and Accessories, Common Workstation, and Perceived Body Discomforts Associated with Notebook Computer Use between Thai and Japanese Users
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Abstract
A survey study was conducted among 280 Thai and Japanese notebook computer (NBC) users to investigate if there are differences in the type of common workstation, computer peripherals and accessories, and perceived body discomforts. The results reveal that most Thai NBC users worked intermittently with NBC while Japanese NBC users worked long hours. The majority of Thai NBC users (96.43%) used only a mouse as external device. Japanese counterparts preferred using mouse (85.00%), external keyboard (64.29%), and external monitor (56.43%). Regarding the common workstation, 67.86% of Thai NBC users reported that they used a single-level table with a height-fixed chair while 88.57% of Japanese NBC users worked at a computer table with an adjustable chair. For the body discomforts, three major discomfort areas reported by Thai NBC users are head/neck (60%), shoulder (39.29%), and upper back (39.29%). As for Japanese NBC users, they complained at head/neck (43.57%), shoulder (68.57%), and lower back (35.71%).
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