School physiotherapy programme: Improving literacy regarding postures adopted at home and in school in adolescents living in the south of Portugal.

Abstract

Health literacy consists of an individual's ability to make informed decisions in various sectors, including school. Most of the health problems and risky behaviours associated with the environment and lifestyle can be minimised or even prevented by increasing health literacy. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a school physiotherapy programme in improving literacy regarding postures adopted at home and in school in adolescents living in the south of Portugal. The sample was comprised of 84 students in the 5th grade, 42 (50%) were boys, aged to 10 and 13 years old (10.35±0.61). The measurement instruments included a theoretical and practical test applied one week before and one week after the school physiotherapy programme. The values obtained on the theoretical test before and after the intervention ranged from 1-13 (7.70±2.47) and 5-13 (10.83±2.27), respectively (p≤0.001) and, on the practical test, before and after ranged from 0-10 (4.14±2.21) and 6-15 (11.8±2.28), respectively (p≤0.001). This study found significant improvements in both theoretical and practical knowledge acquisition after participants attended a school physiotherapy programme. Thus, a school physiotherapy programme could be a useful tool to prevent and/or minimise musculoskeletal disorders in adolescents.