Ergonomic sofa design to support kangaroo mother care in Indonesia

Abstract Background The chairs used by mothers performing Kangaroo mother care (KMC) in hospitals in Indonesia are not ergonomically designed, so they can cause an awkward posture and musculoskeletal disorders. Objective The purpose of this study was to create an ergonomic sofa design that would reduce musculoskeletal disorders among mothers who perform KMC in Indonesian hospitals. Methods The research method was based on the Nigel Cross concept and involved anthropometric measurement conducted with 69 postpartum mothers from four hospitals in Indonesia as a basis for designing an ergonomic sofa. The sofa design was assessed using virtual human modeling with the Siemens Jack software for posture and lower back analysis. Result The Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) value of 2 and low back analysis (LBA) of 363 N obtained with virtual human modeling showed that a mother who performed KMC with the ergonomic sofa was in a safe position with a low risk of experiencing lower back injuries. The resulting ergonomic sofa design had adjusted to the anthropometry of mothers in Indonesia. The mother's posture with a simulation using the ergonomic sofa design is easily maintained and acceptable and can be categorized as safe to the user. Conclusion The ergonomic sofa design for KMC potentially improves posture and reduces the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Further tests are needed, including prototype production and pilot testing, to determine its effectiveness.