Abstract
A study was conducted to investigate the dimensional design of the personal hygiene center: the bathtub. The study determined an optimum level of four basic bathtub parameters, consisting of the bathtub basin length, the rim width, the rim height, and the backrest angle. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of these four physical parameters on safe bathtub usage for the general public. Sixty-four volunteer subjects participated in the study. Each subject was presented four bathtub configurations in random order. Anthropometric dimensions and subjective questionnaires were compiled and evaluated for all subjects. Known anthropometry requirements and functional abilities were combined with the experimental results to arrive at a proposed bathtub design. Analysis revealed preferred dimension for the four parameters, as a function of age, weight, and height. Bimodal preferences supported a proposed bathtub design that would accommodate various methods of bathtub ingress and egress. Finally, incorporating various human factors principles, design parameters were recommended for designing future bathtub structures.
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