Forty-five percent of students reported
discomfort at the beginning of the computer class
and 80% reported discomfort at the end of the
computer class (Fig. 2). The mean level of
discomfort increased from 2.6 at the beginning of the
class to 3 at the end. This increase in reported
frequency and intensity of discomfort might have
been caused by the use of computers during the
class. This suggestion is supported by the work of
Jacobs and Baker [9] who found that between 22.7%
and 54.5% of students felt that using a computer
worsened their pain. It is interesting and quite
worrying to find such high levels of baseline
reported discomfort. The high level of reported
discomfort at the end of the computer class is also
quite worrying as research indicates that when
children experience discomfort while using a
computer, they are more likely to continue and less
likely to report it to adults than children playing
sports or musical instruments