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Message forwarded by
Anne L Barker
c/o DILS, University of Wales Aberystwyth
email: [log in to unmask]
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NUA INTERNET SURVEYS NUA INTERNET SURVEYS NUA INTERNET SURVEYS
Weekly free email on what's new in surveys on the Internet
By Nua Email: [log in to unmask] Web: http://www.nua.ie/surveys/
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August 16th 1999 Published By: Nua Limited Volume 4 No. 32
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HEALTH/MEDICAL
Archives: <http://www.nua.ie/surveys/index.cgi?f=FS&cat_id=36>
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Interface Analysis Associates: Web Surfing Ergonomically Unfriendly
There is a greater risk of repetitive strain injury in surfing the Web
than carrying out other computer tasks, according to a survey by
Interface Analysis Associates. The study found that Web surfers who
use the Internet as a leisure activity tend to pay less attention to
their posture and to their hand positions.
The group outlined a number of bad habits that are most likely to lead
to health problems. In particular, users were found to lean away from
the mouse while surfing, which puts greater strain on the wrists and
elbows. In addition, the continuous scrolling up and down Web pages
puts greater strain on users' fingers. This is exacerbated by users'
tendency to keep their hand continuously on the mouse while pages are
downloading, rather than use this as a rest period. This was described
as the 'mouse freeze' position.
The report recommends that users move closer to the mouse, alternate
positions while pages are downloading and avoid leaning on the
non-mouse hand.
The findings are based on a survey of the browsing habits of 24 Web
surfers.
<http://www.interface-analysis.com/home.shtml>
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