Analysis of the suitability of furniture university - anthropometric characteristics of user Amanda S. Castilho a,* , Camila de Cássia A. Leme a and Rosimeire S. Padula ab a School Physical Therapy, University of San Francisco, Av. São Francisco de Assis, 218, Bragança Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil. b Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, R. Cesário Galeno, 448, São Paulo, Brazil Abstract. This study objective show if the furniture university are according anthropometric characteristics of user. Keywords: School, Comfort, Security * Corresponding author. E-mail: rosipadula@gmail.com 1. Introduction The university is responsible for furnishing physi- cal and psychological comfort of the student, thus having great importance in the educational process because people with pain often have loss of concen- tration, harming both the behavior and productivity in the classroom [1, 2-3] . The purpose of this study was to assess the adequacy of ergonomic desks used by students of the university city of Bragança Paulista, Sao Paulo to their anthropometric aspects. 2. Method Data collection was performed from March to Sep- tember 2008, attended by 743 volunteers enrolled in Administration, Biology, Law, Physical Education, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Environmental Management, Hotel Management, Medicine, Nutri- tion, Dentistry, Education, Process, Chemical Tech- nology and Tourism, at an institution of higher edu- cation. Individuals were selected by convenience sampling, having been invited as they passed by a meeting point within the University. Anthropometric data were measured: knee height, popliteal height, buttock-popliteal distance, distance buttock-knee, thigh sitting height, hip width, elbow height, distance between the elbow, height of the posterior column, seat height scapula and olecranon distance-hand through a caliper. Measurements were collected us- ing a bank and a second ladder steps to position the body segments. The portfolios were collections of the seat measures (length and width), back (height) and seat height. The ANOVA was used to compare means of measures between male and female groups, with a significance level of 5%. Work 41 (2012) 5411-5412 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0836-5411 IOS Press 5411 1051-9815/12/$27.50 © 2012 – IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved