Bruna Nichele da Rosa

Monitoring the prevalence of postural changes in schoolchildren

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to identify whether postural changes are prevalent with advancing age using a photogrammetric method performing one-year follow-up study. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty-eight schoolchildren were evaluated in 2011 and 2012 in this cohort study. The subjects underwent a postural evaluation, which involved palpation of reference anatomic points, placement of reflexive markers over the anatomic points, image acquisition, and point digitalization using the Digital Image-based Postural Assessment evaluation software. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were analyzed by McNemar’s test. [Results] The results showed a significant increase in postural change prevalence for the lumbar spine in the sagittal plane (from 42.2% to 81.6%) and the knees in the frontal plane (from 39.5% to 63.2%) and a significant decrease in the prevalence of scoliosis (from 68.5% to 42.2%). [Conclusion] The findings indicate an increase in the prevalence of postural changes in schoolchildren from Teutônia, RS, Brazil, in 2012 compared with 2011. The development of longitudinal investigations for long-term monitoring of the evolution of posture and of schoolchildren habits’s representing a viable alternative to subsidize health actions.

Back pain prevalence and associated factors in children and adolescents: an epidemiological population study

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To identify the prevalence of back pain among Brazilian school children and the factors associated with this pain. METHODS All 1,720 schoolchildren from the fifth to the eight grade attending schools from the city of Teutonia, RS, Southern Brazil, were invited to participate in the study. From these, 1,597 children participated. We applied the Back Pain and Body Posture Evaluation Instrument. The dependent variable was back pain, while the independent one were demographic, socioeconomic, behavior and heredity data. The prevalence ratio was estimated by multivariate analysis using the Poisson regression model (α = 0.05). RESULTS The prevalence of back pain in the last three months was 55.7% (n = 802). The multivariate analysis showed that back pain is associated with the variables: sex, parents with back pain, weekly frequency of physical activity, daily time spent watching television, studying in bed, sitting posture to write and use the computer, and way of carrying the backpack. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of back pain in schoolchildren is high and it is associated with demographic, behavior and heredity aspects.

Layout for Assessing Dynamic Posture: Development, Validation, and Reproducibility.

Purpose: To determine the psychometric properties of the layout for assessing dynamic posture (LADy). Methods: The study was divided into 2 phases: (1) development of the instrument and (2) determination of validity and reproducibility. The LADy was designed to evaluate the position adopted in 9 dynamic postures. Results: The results confirmed the validity and reproducibility of the instrument. From a total of 51 criteria assessing 9 postures, 1 was rejected. The reproducibility for each of the criteria was classified as moderate to excellent. Conclusions: The LADy constitutes a valid and reproducible instrument for the evaluation of dynamic postures in children 11 to 17 years old. It is low cost and applicable in the school environment.

High prevalence of inadequate sitting and sleeping postures: a three-year prospective study of adolescents

There is a paucity of information regarding the development of body posture during adolescence. This three-year prospective study aimed to evaluate sitting and sleeping postures among adolescents, and to determine whether these postures are associated with age and sex. We assessed 525 adolescents aged 11–16 years from the fifth to eighth grades. These adolescents were reassessed three years later. The Back Pain and Body Posture Evaluation Instrument was used to evaluate the sleeping posture and three sitting positions: sitting to write, to use a computer, and during leisure activities. Our findings indicated a low prevalence of adequate sleeping and sitting postures at baseline, with a decrease in prevalence observed after three years for all postures. These changes were similar for both sexes. Moreover, we found a strong reduction of adequate posture prevalence for younger adolescents, but the oldest adolescents demonstrated no significant differences after three years. Early, rather than late, adolescence is a critical period for establishing inadequate sitting and sleeping postures. This has implications for posture throughout adulthood; hence, interventions targeted at this age group are needed.

Prevalência de dor nas costas e fatores associados de escolares de Viamão, RS

Introduction: Back pain is increasingly present in children and adolescents and there are several factors to contribute to this. Aim: To verify the prevalence of back pain and to identify the associated risk factors in students from a private school in the city of Viamão/RS. Methods: 155 students from the 4th to 6th grade of elementary school participated, who answered the Back Pain and Body Posture Evaluation (BackPEI) Questionnaire. Results: Based on multivariate analysis, it was found that back pain is associated (p>0.05) with parents’ back pain and their schooling level. Conclusion: We concluded that the prevalence of back pain among students was 56.9%, suggesting the need to develop preventive programs in this school community.