A recent study by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency regarding office ergonomics suggests that female office workers are more likely to suffer from health problems due to poor office and workstation design than are their male counterparts.
According to an article published in The Star (Malaysia), 77 percent of women office workers suffered eye strain associated with computer terminals while only 63 percent of men reported similar effects. Additionally, Malaysia’s National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) general manager, Dr. Mat Rebi Abdul Rani, stated in the article that 69 percent of women office workers “suffered excessive fatigue from using computers too long as compared to 59 percent of male workers,” and that more women than men reported wrist and upper hand pain from using computer input devices including keyboards and mice.
The study was conducted on 200 workers during a one-year period. The results, said Dr. Mat Rebi Abdul Rani, showed that lack of ergonomic design in offices had a greater effect on women than on men. The full study will be published later this year.
Source: The Star, Malaysia