Are laptop computers a health risk for an aging population?

Younger (age50 years) workers who used desktop and laptop computers at home were assessed in their homes for posture and self-reported arm and/or shoulder and wrist pain. Adherence to ergonomic guidelines was significantly worse at home than at work. More wrist pain was reported at work than at home, though arm and/or shoulder pain was more prevalent than wrist pain. Younger workers who used laptops at home reported more pain (average of arm and/or shoulder and wrist) than those using a desktop computer at home, and there was no relation between pain and type of computer used at home for older workers. These results suggest that laptop users, particularly younger workers, should be educated on how to use these devices safely in order to minimize the development of musculoskeletal disorders, and these findings reinforce the importance of prevention as one of the goals for gerontechnology, as advocated by Fozard. Adapted from the source document.