著者

高橋 ひとみ Hitomi Takahashi 桃山学院大学法学部

出版者

桃山学院大学総合研究所

雑誌

桃山学院大学総合研究所紀要 = ST.ANDREW'S UNIVERSITY BULLETIN OF THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE (ISSN:1346048X)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.30, no.2, pp.1-11, 2004-12-20

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Many children in Japan today do not know how to grasp a pencil or use chopsticks properly. Improper pencil grasp and chopstick usage may have a negative impact on one's studying and eating posture. In addition, improper posture potentially leads to poor eyesight. This survey was conducted to examine how pencil grasp and chopstick usage may affect the seated posture among children with the aim of putting a stop to the increasing number of children with poor eyesight. Of all the children surveyed, approximately 30% improperly grasped pencils while approximately 25% improperly used chopsticks. The survey result shows that pencil grasp and chopstick usage are associated with studying (seated) posture. By means of proper pencil grasp and chopstick usage, children were more likely to maintain a distance of 30 cm or more between the eyes and the notebook surface. This is known to impose minimal strain to the eyes. In fact, those children who maintained this optimal posture were less likely to have poor eyesight compared to those who did not. In view of these facts, encouraging efficient pencil grasp and proper chopstick usage among children will contribute to promoting the optimal studying posture that imposes minimal strain on the eyes. Until children are old enough to understand what needs to be done to maintain good eyesight, parents and adults should provide necessary care and support in this respect.