IMPACT OF DYNAMIC SEATING ON CHILD’S BEHAVIOR AND CONCENTRATION IN CLASSROOM

Introduction
Ergonomics and dynamism in classroom seem to influence schoolchildren’s behavior and concentration [1-2].
This study aimed to evaluate the influence of dynamic school furniture associated with a postural education on schoolchildren’s behavior and concentration in classroom.

Methods
Seventy-seven primary school children were divided into an experimental group (EG) (n=46, age=6.4, height=119.3cm, weight=23.2kg, body mass=16.5) and a control group (CG) (n=31, age=6.5, height=119.6cm, weight=23.1kg, body mass=16.1) and took part in this 2-school-year-follow-up cluster randomized controlled study including 4 phases of evaluation (E1 to E4) consisting of assessing the children’s behavior (sit or not / on task or not) from videos and their attention capacities with 2 different tests. In the first year, the EG was assessed before any intervention (E1), after having provided a triangular and dynamic cushion and 3 months of postural education (E2) and after 6 months using the cushion. In the second year, outcomes were assessed after 2 years using the cushion (E4). The CG had identical evaluation design but without any intervention.

Results
Compared with the CG, the children of the EG significantly improved their behavior at each step of the study. So, children’s spent proportionately more time sitting when ergonomic and dynamic seating was combined with postural education (p≤0.04) and they had more “on task” behavior (p≤0.001). Furthermore, the intervention tends to optimize the children’s attention (p<0.05).

Conclusions
The children’s behavior and concentration in the classroom was improved using ergonomic and dynamic furniture combined with a postural intervention. Further studies are needed to confirm those results. This study suggests that early prevention seems efficient to optimized schoolchildren’s behavior.