Michelle Brandalize

Effect of Morning School Schedule on Sleep and Anthropometric Variables in Adolescents: A Follow-Up Study

The aim of this study was to assess whether the shift from afternoon to morning classes reduces the duration of sleep and whether this reduction has any relation to body fat measurements. This is a follow-up study in which students (n = 379), 12.4 (SD ± 0.7) yrs old, were evaluated before and after the school schedule shift, with a 1-yr interval between the first and second data collections. Adolescents were divided into two groups: an afternoon-morning group (students who shifted from afternoon to morning classes) and an afternoon-afternoon group (students who remained in afternoon classes). The morning schedule of classes lasted from 07:30 and 12:00 h, and the afternoon schedule of classes lasted from 13:00 and 17:30 h. Self-reported bedtime, wake-up time, and time-in-bed were obtained. Body mass index, waist circumference, and body fat percentage were obtained by direct measures. The results showed a reduction of time-in-bed during weekdays for those students who changed to the morning session (p < .001). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) for repeated measures of anthropometric differences between afternoon-afternoon and afternoon-morning groups showed no effect of the school schedule change on weight gain. In conclusion, the time-in-bed reduction in the period analyzed cannot be considered to be a mediating factor to modifications in overweight anthropometric indicators. (Author correspondence: michelleb_fisio@yahoo.com.br)

Efeito agudo da técnica de reeducação postural global na postura de mulheres com encurtamento da cadeia muscular anterior

INTRODUCTION: Global posture reeducation (GPR) is an evaluation and treatment method to several postural dysfunctions that use through global postures to treat alterations on muscular chains. OBJECTIVE: to analyze the effect of one session of GPR in the posture of women with shortened anterior muscular chain. METHODS: Thirty volunteers (20 ± 2.4 years) with shortened anterior chain were divided randomly in two groups: experimental group and control group. In the experimental group GPR was applied for 40 min, and in the control group, the participants were not submitted to any procedure. Eleven related variables were measured to analyze posture through photometry, before and immediately after GPR technique. RESULTS: The related variables to head and shoulder presented significant modifications as: the angle of head protrusion (p = 0.00), the heads horizontal alignment (p = 0.02), distance plum-line through ear (p = 0.00) and distance plumb-line through acromy (p = 0.00). CONCLUSION: GPR induced immediate effect in the heads and shoulder position; however a single intervention of GPR was not able to alter the positioning of other analyzed structures, as trunk, pelvis and inferior limb.

Fatores associados à qualidade do sono em estudantes de Fisioterapia

Sleep deprivation is a common situation among students and can cause health problems and learning difficulties. On this way, the aim of the study was to analyze the sleep pattern of physical therapy university students, as well as the associated factors with quality of sleep. A total of 199 physical therapy students participate of the study. To asses sleep quality, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used. Environmental, biological and social variables were investigated and their relations to sleep quality were analyzed. It was shown that 51.75% of the students showed poor sleep quality, which has been associated with shorter sleep duration (p<0.01) and earlier wake-up time in weekdays (p<0.01), double work shift (p<0.01) and increased daytime sleepiness (p<0.01). It was concluded that the quality of sleep was poor in 51.75% of the evaluated students and this may have multifactorial cause.

Exposição crônica em ambiente de conflito sensorial e sua influência no controle postural

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the balance of subjects chronically exposed to an environment with sensorial conflict before and immediately after exposition to this environment. Fifteen fishermen volunteered to participate and had their displacement of center of pressure (CP) measured by a force platform before and after a sea journey. Six different conditions, in which the sensorial information of visual and somatosensory system was manipulated, were tested. The total path of the center of pressure indicated the participants ability to use each sensory system separately for each condition to control upright posture. There were no changes in body sway or sensory dependence immediately after exposure to an environment with sensorial conflict. A chronic adaptation seemed to prevent them to be influenced by acute effects of exposure to an environment with sensorial conflict.

Método Pediasuit melhora a função motora grossa de criança com paralisia cerebral atáxica

Introduction: Pediasuit is an intensive therapy performed by means of a “suit” in neurologic patient. Objective: to verify the influence of the Pediasuit on gross motor function and in caregiver`s perception of a child with Cerebral Palsy. Methods: This is a case study of a child with 6 years old with ataxic Cerebral Palsy. The primary outcome measured was gross motor function evaluated by the Index of Gross Motor Function (GMFM-88) which was assessed before and after intervention. The Pediasuit treatment was performed five times a week, two hours daily, during a month. Results: The results of the total score of GMFM showed an increase, which was better seem in standing domain (25.36%) after treatment. Conclusion: The intervention resulted in improvement in gross motor function for the participant of the study.

Alterações posturais em crianças e adolescentes obesos e não-obesos. 10.5007/1980-0037.2011v13n6p448

Nos ultimos anos, a obesidade assumiu proporcoes epidemicas, relacionando-se aos fatores de risco cardiovasculares e tambem ao aparecimento de alteracoes posturais, tanto no adulto como em criancas e adolescentes. O objetivo do presente estudo foi identificar e comparar a frequencia de alteracoes posturais e dor em escolares obesos e nao obesos de acordo com o genero. Foram analisadas 51 criancas e adolescentes, de 9 a 17 anos, de ambos os sexos, divididas em dois grupos: obesos (n=33) e nao-obesos (n=18), estes foram posteriormente subdivididos por sexo para as analises. A partir da massa corporal e da estatura, foi calculado o indice de massa corporal (IMC). Utilizou-se questionario elaborado pelos autores e validado em conteudo para avaliar a presenca ou nao de dor. Foram avaliados desvios posturais de ombro, cabeca e joelho, pelo uso de fotometria para analise angular e de dimensao. Os meninos obesos apresentaram maiores alteracoes posturais do que os nao-obesos somente na regiao do joelho (p<0,01). Entre as meninas, nao houve diferenca para nenhuma das regioes. A frequencia de dor nas meninas obesas foi significativamente maior do que nas nao-obesas (p<0,05). Conclui-se que as alteracoes nao sao exclusivas dos individuos obesos, mas o excesso de peso pode acentuar esses desvios. Mais estudos sao necessarios para diagnosticar, ja na infância, essas alteracoes, possibilitando intervencao precoce e boa postura na vida adulta.Obesity has reached epidemic proportions over recent years and is related to cardiovascular risk factors, as well as to the occurrence of postural changes in adults, children and adolescents. The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of postural abnormalities and pain in schoolchildren. Fifty-one children and adolescents of both genders aged 9-17 years were divided into an obese (n = 33) and a non-obese group (n = 18). Weight and height were measured to calculate the body mass index. A questionnaire was used to assess the presence or absence of pain. Postural deviations of the shoulder, head and knees were analyzed by photometry using the Corel Draw12 software for the determination of angular measures and size. Obese boys showed greater postural changes in the region of the knees than non-obese ones (p<0.001). No significant differences in any of the regions analyzed were observed for girls. On the other hand, the prevalence of pain was significantly higher among obese girls than among non-obese girls. We conclude that postural changes are not limited to obese children, but excess weight may increase this deviation. Further studies are needed to diagnose these changes during childhood in order to permit early intervention and good posture in adult life.