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Physical Activity for Prevention and Correction of Body Posture in Children and Young People

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Guest Editor
1. Institute of Health Sciences, Medical College, University of Rzeszów, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
2. Natural and Medical Center for Innovative Research, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
Interests: rehabilitation; body posture; body balance; thoracic kyphosis; lumbar lordosis; spine; flat foot; forward head posture; corrective exercises; urinary and fecal incontinence rehabilitation; pelvic floor problems; perinatal risk factors; body posture and pelvic floor method test; physical activity; body composition; obesity; health behaviors; maternal and child health
Academic Sports Center, Rzeszow University of Technology, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland
Interests: sports science; exercise science; sport biomechanics; postural control; gymnastics; martial arts and combat sports; sport motion analysis; strength and conditioning

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Physical activity is a key element in supporting the proper development of the human musculoskeletal system in childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. It stimulates and supports the proper growth and maturation process, and is responsible for shaping motor skills and the ability to adapt to physical exertion. In addition, it corrects functional deficiencies and prevents hereditary diseases.

Scientific evidence suggests that currently widespread sedentary lifestyles may contribute to postural defects. If the abnormalities in the process of shaping the body posture are not caused by birth defects or serious injuries to the spine or lower extremities, then it may be the result of akinesia-induced muscular dystonia or, alternatively, incorrectly applied or performed physical activity. Incorrect exercise may cause excessive weakness and stretching of the agonist and contracture of the antagonist muscles. This, in turn, restricts mobility and may lead to the development and persistence of posture defects. It happens both in inactive people and in those practicing sports, especially in people who have been involved in sports professionally for many years. Therefore, it is necessary to educate young people about the causes and methods of correcting body posture defects.

This Special Issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) focuses on demonstrating the role of physical activity in shaping body posture in the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes in trunk and lower extremities in children, adolescents, and young adults, in both healthy populations as well as those with various disabilities or disease.

We invite you to submit scientific articles, research protocols, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and practical research. Reviews, case reports, and conference papers are welcome in this Special Issue. Other accepted types of manuscripts are methodological works, positions, short reports, and comments.

Dr. Katarzyna Walicka-Cuprys
Dr. Ewa Polak
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • bad posture
  • child development
  • foot deformities
  • kyphosis
  • lordosis
  • physical exercises
  • postural correction
  • scoliosis
  • valgus knee
  • varus knee

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 776 KiB  
Article
Relationship between Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior, Spinal Curvatures, Endurance and Balance of the Trunk Muscles-Extended Physical Health Analysis in Young Adults
by Verner Marijančić, Tanja Grubić Kezele, Stanislav Peharec, Nataša Dragaš-Zubalj, Sandra Pavičić Žeželj and Gordana Starčević-Klasan
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(20), 6938; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20206938 - 18 Oct 2023
Viewed by 2926
Abstract
Background: Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior are associated with poor well-being in young people with adverse effects extending into adulthood. To date, there are many studies investigating the relationship between physical activity (PA) and posture, but there are no data on the relationship [...] Read more.
Background: Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior are associated with poor well-being in young people with adverse effects extending into adulthood. To date, there are many studies investigating the relationship between physical activity (PA) and posture, but there are no data on the relationship between the type and intensity of PA and sedentary behavior, their association with thoracic and lumbar spine angles, and with endurance and balance of the trunk muscles, especially in healthy young adults aged 18–25 years. Moreover, there are no data on the relationship between PA and sedentary behavior and musculoskeletal and cardiopulmonary health, as well as quality of life (QoL) and sleep that would provide a more comprehensive picture of physical health status. Aim: Therefore, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the extent to which PA and sedentary behavior are associated with each other and with changes in spinal curvatures, endurance and balance of trunk muscles in an extended analysis of physical health status in young adults aged 18–25 years by additionally including measures of body composition, cardiorespiratory capacity, and QoL and sleep. Methods: A total of 82 students (58% female, 42% male) aged 18–25 years completed all required tests. Primary outcome measures included the following: PA and sedentary behavior calculated from the long form of International PA Questionnaire (IPAQ-LF), spinal curvatures measured by a Spinal Mouse® device, endurance and balance of the trunk muscles measured using trunk endurance tests and their ratio. Results: Overall, 50% of students were classified as minimally active and 50% as health-enhancing PA (HEPA) active. The angles of thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis showed no correlation with PA or time spent sitting. However, students with the lowest PA had significantly higher scores on the trunk extensor endurance test and trunk extensor/flexor endurance test ratio, indicating imbalanced trunk muscles. Moreover, these students spent the most their time sitting. Only PA of vigorous intensity and PA during recreation, leisure, and sports significantly correlated with QoL related to physical health. QoL related to physical and psychosocial health had significantly higher scores when students spent less time sitting. In addition, we found significantly better respiratory performance and SQ at higher PA values, i.e., PA during recreation, leisure, and sport. Conclusions: Our results suggest that students with low PA levels and more time spent sitting have imbalanced trunk muscles, worse respiratory function, and poorer QoL and sleep. Moreover, these findings in college students may reflect their lifestyle and suggest that more PA needs to be promoted to prevent the development of chronic diseases including musculoskeletal disorders. Full article
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13 pages, 377 KiB  
Article
Aerobic Capacity in Relation to Selected Elements of Body Posture
by Dawid Konrad Mucha, Tomasz Pałka, Renata Skalska-Izdebska, Aneta Teległów, Teresa Mucha, Robert Makuch and Dariusz Mucha
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 903; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20020903 - 4 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1449
Abstract
Background: In the 21st century, with the rapid development of many human life areas, physical activity should be prevalent in health maintenance and promotion. Body posture is a motor habit characteristic of every individual. Its correctness depends on numerous aspects, e.g., physical activity, [...] Read more.
Background: In the 21st century, with the rapid development of many human life areas, physical activity should be prevalent in health maintenance and promotion. Body posture is a motor habit characteristic of every individual. Its correctness depends on numerous aspects, e.g., physical activity, age, mental state, or eating habits. There are numerous reports in the literature on the impact of physical activity on body posture, correct foot arch development, and the level of aerobic capacity in children and adolescents, but there is a noticeable lack of assessments of these characteristics and their correlations in adults. Aim: To evaluate aerobic capacity in males and females in relation to selected body posture elements. Methods: The study involved 45 females and 46 males aged 20–21 years. The inclusion criteria involved declared good health and no contraindications. Selected somatic traits, body posture, and physical capacity indicators were determined. Results: Physical capacity shows a significant relationship with body mass in both sexes (female: r = −0.346; p = 0.020; male: r = −0.321; p = 0.030). A significant correlation was observed between aerobic capacity and lean body mass in females (r = −0.428; p = 0.003) and body mass (r = −0.461; p = 0.001) and body fat percentage in males (r = −0.443; p = 0.002). A significant correlation was demonstrated between maximal oxygen uptake and Clarke’s angle (r = −0.300; p = 0.045) in females, between maximal oxygen uptake and the loaded area of the right foot (r = −0.247; p = 0.098) in the male group, and between maximal oxygen uptake and spine lateral deviation (r = 0.352; p = 0.018) in females. There was no dimorphism between body posture elements and physical capacity except for the level of foot longitudinal arches, feet loading surface, spine lateral deviation, and the range of spine mobility in the sagittal and frontal planes. Aerobic capacity significantly influenced lean body mass (β = −0.379; p = 0.007) and spine deviation from the anatomical axis in the frontal plane in females (β = 0.287; p = 0.039) and body fat percentage in males (β = −0.443; p = 0.002). Conclusions: Selected body posture elements demonstrate relationships with physical capacity in both sexes. The results should find wide practical applications, e.g., in promoting a comprehensive assessment of body posture and physical capacity as determinants of health maintenance. Full article
9 pages, 573 KiB  
Article
Physiotherapy as a Specific and Purposeful Form of Physical Activity in Children with Idiopathic Body Asymmetry
by Jacek Wilczyński, Anita Sowińska and Marta Mierzwa-Molenda
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15008; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215008 - 15 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1632
Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between idiopathic asymmetry in infants and body posture in children at an early school age. The study included 45 girls aged nine. The Diers Formetric III 4D device was used to assess body [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between idiopathic asymmetry in infants and body posture in children at an early school age. The study included 45 girls aged nine. The Diers Formetric III 4D device was used to assess body posture, which allows photogrammetric registration of the back surface using the raster stereography process. For the purposes of the re-search project, the examination was performed via DiCAM using the “Average measurement” mode. Despite physiotherapy, these children had more postural defects later on compared to the control group due to asymmetry. They mainly concerned pelvic skewness, scoliosis angle, deviation from the vertical line and lateral deviation, as well as surface rotation. Positive correlations were observed between direction of asymmetry and pelvic skewness (r = 0.40), and between the location of asymmetry and the location of curvature (r = 0.39). Significant negative correlations were also found between the age of treatment initiation and trunk length (r = −0.42). There was also a negative correlation between the number of physiotherapeutic appointments and deviation from the vertical line, which means that along with an increase in the number of physiotherapeutic visits, the value of deviation from the vertical line decreased (p = −0.40). For scoliosis angle, the most important predictor was the direction of asymmetry (p = 0.05). For the location of the curvature, the most important predictor was the direction of asymmetry (p = 0.04), as well as the number of physiotherapeutic appointments (p = 0.04). Additionally, regression analysis allowed us to show that the number of physiotherapeutic visits (p = 0.03) was the most important predictor of curvature direction. The applied physiotherapy probably contributed to the occurrence of a smaller number of postural defects in these children at a later age. Physiotherapy as a specific and targeted form of physical activity among infants with idiopathic asymmetry should play a very important role in the prevention of body posture defects. Full article
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