A quality of body posture in early school-aged children after a pandemic and selected lifestyle components – preliminary report

Abstract

Introduction: There are many modifiable risk factors that disrupt proper motor development, including the development of body posture. Abnormal body positions taken repeatedly, frequent use of electronic devices, and motor passivity are all implicated in postural abnormalities. In the post-pandemic period, sedentary behavior is quite common among children and adolescents, contributing to increased overweight and obesity, as well as changes in lifestyle, which consequently lead to many health problems. The main aim of this study was to assess the quality of children’s body posture and attempt to estimate the relationship between the occurrence of postural abnormalities and the level of physical activity. Material and methods: A pilot study was conducted on a sample of 200 children from early elementary school classes in the Silesia region, aged 6–10 years (x = 8.25 ± 1.06). The respondents were classified into two subgroups of equal size of 100 girls (group I) and 100 boys (group II). The study groups did not have any differences in age (p = 0.07). Body posture was assessed in all three planes using a plumb line, scoliometer, and inclinometer, as well as functional status with Thomayer and Matthias tests. Body weight and height were measured using a Tanita analyzer and stadiometer with conversion to centile charts for weight, height, and body mass index (BMI). Results: Postural defects in the sagittal plane in both the thoracic and lumbar segments were found in approximately 20% of the subjects in both groups, regardless of the level of physical activity. In both study groups, excessive screen time and time spent in a sitting position were observed. Physical activity was largely below World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. Conclusions: Children of younger school age are noted to have numerous postural abnormalities that are unrelated to their level of physical activity. Children use screen time and spend too much time sitting and do not meet WHO recommendations for moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Keywords

• lifestyle
• postural defects
• pandemic
• physical activity