Abstract
Abstract Aim: To identify postural variations in the positioning of the head, cervical spine and shoulders of children in two phases - preschool and school. Methods: This was a longitudinal study, a convenience sample with 99 children of both genders, in preschool (5-6 years old) and school (8-11 years old) phases. The postural alignment of the head, cervical spine and shoulders was evaluated through computerized photogrammetry and analyzed by SAPo software. Results: Differences were found between preschool and school phases, but only the variables of shoulder angle (SA) and forward head distance (FHD) were significantly different (SA = 32.79 [30.49 - 35.09] and 35.84 [33.53 - 38.15] p = 0.026, respectively; FHD = 8.40 [8.07 - 8.73] and 11.23 [10.94-11.52] p <0.001, respectively). A positive correlation was obtained between forward head distance and body mass (rho= 0.597, p <0.001). Conclusion: There are changes in head and shoulder alignment between preschool and school phases, with protrusion of shoulders and forward head distance findings in children who have evolved their posture. Therefore, parents should be aware of children’s posture, and health and education professionals should be involved in screening and prevention programs.
Highlights
Posture can be defined as a set of positions of the different joints of the body in a certain period, the correct posture being considered one in which minimum stress is applied to the joints[1]
The position of the head, cervical spine and shoulders of children has been the subject of several studies, due to the effects that the combination of daily factors of life can cause, for example: inadequate sitting posture for a long time, mainly during the use of electronics; being overweight; incorrect ways of carrying backpacks; school furniture with dimensions not suitable for body structure; sedentary lifestyle habits[5,6,7,8]
Children who were excluded from the study belonged to one or more of the following categories of students who: were unable to remain in orthostatic position for the examination; had no understanding or no cooperation in the evaluation; presented chronic or acute disease; had undergone recent surgeries that could interfere with posture; presented physical and/or sensorial impairment; presented neurological, musculoskeletal or cardiorespiratory dysfunction and those whose parents did not approve of participation in the study
Summary
Posture can be defined as a set of positions of the different joints of the body in a certain period, the correct posture being considered one in which minimum stress is applied to the joints[1]. The position of the head, cervical spine and shoulders of children has been the subject of several studies, due to the effects that the combination of daily factors of life can cause, for example: inadequate sitting posture for a long time, mainly during the use of electronics; being overweight; incorrect ways of carrying backpacks; school furniture with dimensions not suitable for body structure; sedentary lifestyle habits[5,6,7,8]. Spahic, Pranjic, Mulic[8] evaluated the posture and daily habits of 1315 schoolchildren, aged 8 to 12 years, and showed that schoolaged children spent practically 95% of their time in the seated position in school and approximately 1.5 hours sitting at home in front of electronics. All of these factors can lead to musculoskeletal disorders in children such as developing postural deformities and pain[7,8]
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