Suitability of School Furniture and Correlation with Pain Prevalence Among Slovenian 6th to 9th Graders

School furniture has been recognised as a potential risk factor for musculoskeletal pain among primary school pupils. The aim of this study was to assess student-furniture mismatch and to determine the association between unsuitable school furniture and musculoskeletal pain among Slovenian pupils. Firstly, pupils’ body dimensions were measured, and student-furniture mismatch was calculated. Secondly, pain prevalence was assessed using adjusted Nordic questionnaire. A total of 68 pupils from 6th to 9th grade (age 12 ± 1, 44% males) participated in the study. Seat height was unsuitable for 90% of pupils and desk height for 82% of pupils. One third of pupils reported knee pain and more than one fifth of pupils reported neck, shoulder, upper, and lower back pain. Logistic regression revealed no significant impact of school furniture on pain occurrence among pupils. However, the data indicated upper back pain might be associated with unsuitable backrest. The results showed that school furniture in Slovenian primary school is unsuitable for most pupils. The association between furniture and pupils’ musculoskeletal pain needs further investigation. Redesign of school furniture is desired, and the anthropometric data obtained could be considered when designing new school furniture.