Preferred seat orientation of senior high-school students

The height of the front of the seat is the primary determinant of appropriate seat size in the school setting. In the present study, this dimension was fixed at 445 mm and, using a brief adjustment period, students adjusted the angle of the seat to their preferred rear seat height (PRSH) under three fixed and one adjustable desk height conditions and for one desk height, under two time conditions. PRSH was significantly greater at an 800 mm desk height (454 +/- 14 mm) compared to 735 mm (447 +/- 15 mm) and 720 mm (444 +/- 16 mm). When desk height as well as rear seat height were adjustable, PRSH was 446 +/- 15 mm and preferred desk height 751 +/- 25 mm. Taller students or those with larger popliteal heights selected lower PRSHs at all desk heights, with PRSH more strongly related to popliteal height (r = 0.54 to -0.59) than stature (r = -0.44 to -0.50). No differences were found in PRSH between short (< 5 min) and long (30 min) adjustment periods for the 735 mm desk height. The nearly horizontal seat positions found in this study were between those recommended by other authors.