Rev Bras Fisiol Exerc 2020;19(6):459-67
doi: 10.33233/rbfex.v19i6.3202
ORIGINAL
ARTICLE
Postural
deviations and physical activity: a cross-sectional study with children
Desvios posturais e atividade física: estudo transversal com crianças
Cristianne Morgado Montenegro1,
Tatiana Affornali Tozo1, Beatriz Oliveira
Pereira2, João Otacílio Libardoni dos
Santos3
1Ph.D. student in Child
Studies, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
2Director of the Ph.D.
course in Child Studies, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
3Permanent professor of
the Graduate Program in Education at the Federal University of Amazonas,
Manaus, AM, Brazil
Received
on: August 15, 2019; Accepted on: October 10, 2020.
Correspondence: Cristianne
Morgado Montenegro, Rua Dr. Jorge Abrahim, 24
Conjunto Barra Bella, Parque Dez de Novembro,
69054-400 Manaus AM
Cristianne Morgado Montenegro: cristianne.morgado@gmail.com
Tatiana Affornali Tozo:
tatinali@yahoo.com.br
Beatriz Oliveira
Pereira: beatriz@ie.uminho.pt
João Otacilio
Libardoni dos Santos: jlibardoni@ufam.edu.br
Abstract
Introduction: Currently, postural deviations represent one of the biggest
epidemiological problems among children and adolescents. Objective: To analyze
whether there is an association between aerobic fitness and the level of
physical activity in children and adolescents and the occurrence of postural
deviations in children and adolescents. Methods: The study analyzed 380
children and adolescents, 54% female and 46% male, between 10 and 18 years old.
The selected variables were: Aerobic fitness, Physical activity level, and
Postural deviations. To determine the variables, Fitnessgram,
International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and the method of photogrammetry
of Postural Assessment Based on Digital Image version 3.1 were used. Results:
There were statistically significant association between aerobic fitness and
lumbar hyperlordosis in males (p = 0.049). Binary
logistic regression adjusted for the boys' group (OR = 3.268) showed the
possibility of lumbar hyperlordosis to develop three
times more in boys with adequate aerobic fitness. Conclusion: Boys with
lumbar hyperlordosis had satisfactory levels of
aerobic fitness. Other risk factors, such as muscle fitness, seem to influence
the occurrence of lumbar hyperlordosis.
Keywords: posture; physical fitness; physical activity; children.
Resumo
Introdução: Atualmente, os
desvios posturais representam um dos maiores problemas epidemiológicos entre a
comunidade infantojuvenil. Objetivo: Analisar
se existe associação entre a aptidão aeróbia e o nível de atividade física em
crianças e adolescentes e a ocorrência de desvios posturais em crianças e
adolescentes. Métodos: O estudo analisou 380 crianças e adolescentes,
sendo 54% do sexo feminino e 46% do sexo masculino, entre 10 e 18 anos idade.
As variáveis selecionadas foram: Aptidão aeróbia, Nível de atividade física e
Desvios posturais. Para determinar as variáveis foram utilizados: Fitnessgram, Questionário Internacional de Atividade
Física, e o método de fotogrametria de Avaliação Postural Baseada em Imagem
Digital versão 3.1. Resultados: Verificaram-se asssociações
estatisticamente significativas entre a aptidão aeróbia e a hiperlordose lombar
no sexo masculino (p = 0,049). A regressão logística binária ajustada para o
grupo dos meninos (OR = 3,268) apresentou a possibilidade da hiperlordose
lombar se desenvolver três vezes mais em meninos com aptidão aeróbia adequada. Conclusão:
Meninos com hiperlordose lombar apresentaram níveis adequados de aptidão
aeróbia. Outros fatores de risco, como a aptidão muscular parecem influenciar
na ocorrência da hiperlordose lombar.
Palavras-chave: postura; aptidão
física; atividade física; crianças.
It is crucial to have extended knowledge of the benefits that the
practice of physical activity promotes, mainly when performed respecting the
recommendations about type, intensity, and duration of this practice among
children and adolescents [1]. The usual practice of physical activity among
children and adolescents improves physical fitness and contributes positively to
countless health-related benefits [2] based on both the quantity, quality, and
type of physical exercise performed [3]. However, despite knowing the
importance of regular physical activity, currently, only 33% of adolescents
perform 60 minutes of physical activity daily [4].
This type of behavior is of great concern, as it may be contributing to
the increase in chronic diseases, for example, postural deviations, which
currently represent one of the biggest epidemiological problems among the
children and youth community [5]. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system have
negatively influenced both quality of life and mortality in the general
population [6]. Different types of body posture disorders have been related to
physical inactivity in both passive and active forms [5,7].
This situation has led some authors to link postural deviations and
level of physical activity [8,9], as it is believed that its regularity is
essential for postural control and can consolidate and automate motor
functions, increasing the stimulus neuromuscular [10]. However, we understand
that it is not possible to focus only on quantity but to have a close look at
the type of physical activity performed. Therefore, the present study aimed to
analyze whether there is an association between aerobic fitness, level of
physical activity, and the occurrence of postural deviations in children and
adolescents.
This research is a cross-sectional, analytical, and descriptive study in
which a sample for convenience was included. 380 students participated in the
study, being 54% (n = 204) female and 46% (n = 176) male. Participants were
between 10 and 18 years old (mean age 12.6 ± 1.68 years old for girls and 13.03
± 1.76 for boys) and average body mass of 47.5 ± 12.1 kg and height of 1.6 ±
0.1 m. 101 children, between 10 and 11 years of age, were analyzed, and between
12 and 18 years of age, 279 adolescents were evaluated [11]. All were properly
enrolled from the 5th to the 9th grade of two Municipal Schools in the Municipality
of Manaus, State of Amazonas, Brazil.
This research follows the ethical principles contained in the 1995
Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee
under opinion No. 2.297.695. The students were only included in the study after
the parents and/or guardians consented to their participation through the
Informed Consent Form (ICF). The exclusion criteria were:
schoolchildren diagnosed with neurological, rheumatological diseases, or any
other disease that affected the conditions of body posture and the locomotor
system. No withdrawal or exclusion from any of the participants was identified
during the survey.
For data collection, students were invited individually to enter a room
adapted for data collection procedures. The procedures involved the following
steps:
1) Filling out the Identification Form: The students were instructed by
the responsible researcher to fill out the identification form with the
following information: age, sex, date of birth, year of schooling, educational
level of parents or guardians, these data being later confirmed at the school
office by the responsible researcher.
2) Aerobic Aptitude Assessment: After completing the previous steps,
students were taken to a multisport court where aerobic fitness tests were
performed. For the assessment of aerobic fitness, the shuttle run test was
used, recommended by the Fitnessgram test battery
[12], in which children were encouraged to run as far as possible with
increasing speeds with each sound signal emitted, registering the largest
number of laps that the child could manage.
3) Physical Activity Level Assessment: To assess the level of physical
activity, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was applied,
which indicates the frequency, intensity, type, and duration of physical
activity performed one week before the application of the IPAQ [13]. The
results were classified according to the recommendations of the World Health
Organization (WHO) [14], which indicates the need for children and adolescents
to exercise daily 60 min or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity,
totaling 300 minutes per week. We used two categories: healthy and unhealthy,
with the group of children and adolescents who followed WHO recommendations
[14] being classified as healthy and children who were unable to reach these
recommendations as unhealthy.
4) Postural Assessment: it was performed in a standardized room for the
analysis of body posture considering the guidelines of the Digital Image-based
Postural Assessment (DIPA) photogrammetry method version 3.1.9 [15]. This
method is not very invasive, has low cost, representing a simple, valid, and
practical evaluation tool to analyze the spine in the sagittal and frontal
planes. During this procedure, the students were asked to position themselves
first on the right sagittal plane. The students were in an orthostatic
position, with relaxed arms at their sides, chin parallel to the ground, and
barefoot. A black cloth (2.00 x 2.00 m) was fixed at the bottom of the
evaluation room. Then, the following steps were performed: 1) palpation and
marking of specific reference points of the DIPA protocol, through 6 small
white markers (styrofoam balls) with a diameter of
1.0 cm (BP) that were fixed in the anatomical points of CO, C1, C2, C4, C6 and
C7; and 10 rod-shaped markers, each formed by a plastic base and a small white
ball (BP), which total length is 4.5 cm, to then be fixed at the anatomical
points: T1, T2, T4, T6, T8, T10, T12, L2, L4, and S2. After the analysis in the
right sagittal plane, we performed the postural analysis in the coronal plane
in the posterior view through palpation and marking of reference points of 11
small white markers (styrofoam balls) with a diameter
of 1.0 cm (BP) so that they could be applied with double-sided tape to the
anatomical points, with 2 markers in CO and C7 (cervical spine) and 9 markers
in the anatomical points of the thoracic, lumbar and sacral spine in T2, T4,
T6, T8, T10, T12, L2, L4, and S2. After postural analysis, the following
procedures were performed; 2) preparation and positioning of the Canon digital
Power Shot SX500 IS photographic camera, 16 megapixels, positioned on a tripod
with level to couple the camera at 2.80m from the evaluated and 0.95m from the
ground, with a 35mm lens; 3) a plumb line with two average white markers (BM)
1m apart; 4) acquisition of photographs, observation, and analysis of photos by
Samsung computer model AD 4019F; 5) digitization of points in the software; 6)
generation of the DIPA Postural Report. The classification of thoracic kyphosis
was carried out using the following reference values of the DIPA method for
children: increased dorsal kyphosis (angle > 50°) and for lumbar hyperlordosis, the following classification was used:
increased lumbar lordosis (angle > 49.5°), scoliosis was classified by the
component of the lateral inclination by the scoliotic arrow method [15].
The data were analyzed using frequency and percentage. To compare the
associations between the study variables, the Chi-Square test and Fisher's
Exact test were used, the latter being used when the assumption of the expected
frequency size was not satisfied. When significant associations were observed,
the binary logistic regression model was applied. The data were treated using
the IBM SPSS 24 Statistics software program, considering p < 0.05.
Table I shows the frequencies (absolute and relative) of the occurrence
or not of thoracic hyperkyphosis, according to the
different levels of aerobic fitness in the students analyzed. No significant
associations were found between aerobic fitness levels and the occurrence or
not of thoracic hyperkyphosis in the entire group (p
= 0.876) and not considering gender.
Table
I - Aerobic fitness, depending on the occurrence or
not of thoracic hyperkyphosis
T
=Total; F = Female; M = Male; * p < 0.05
Table II shows the frequencies (absolute and relative) of the occurrence
or not of lumbar hyperlordosis according to the levels
of aerobic fitness in the students analyzed. No significant associations were
found on the existence or not of lumbar hyperlordosis
according to aerobic fitness in the entire group (p = 0.224) and not
considering gender. However, when we related aerobic fitness and the occurrence
of lumbar hyperlordosis, statistically significant
results (p = 0.049) were found in males.
Table
II - Aerobic fitness, according to the occurrence or
not of lumbar hyperlordosis
T
=Total; F = Female; M = Male; * p < 0.05
Thus, for the statistically significant result, the odds ratio was
analyzed, and it was observed that healthy male students were approximately 3
times more likely to develop lumbar hyperlordosis
when compared to unhealthy male students (Table III).
Table
III - Logistic regression model for the variable
aerobic fitness with lumbar hyperlordosis, for male
students
OR
= Odds Ratio; * p < 0.05
Table IV shows the frequencies (absolute and relative) of the occurrence
or not of scoliosis, according to the different levels of aerobic fitness in
the students analyzed. No significant associations were found between aerobic
fitness levels and the occurrence of scoliosis in students (p = 0.789).
Table
IV - Aerobic fitness, according to the occurrence of
scoliosis
T
=Total; F = Female; M = Male; * p < 0.05
Table V shows the relative and absolute frequency of the levels of
physical activity and the occurrence or not of lumbar hyperlordosis,
thoracic hyperkyphosis, and scoliosis in the analyzed
students, according to the classification recommendations for the levels of
physical activity of WHO [14]. When we correlated the occurrence of the three
pathologies studied and the level of physical activity, it was observed both in
children with lumbar hyperlordosis and in thoracic hyperkyphosis that the individuals analyzed were healthier,
9% and 36% respectively, when compared to unhealthy ones. About scoliosis, very
similar results were identified in both groups of healthy and unhealthy students,
43% and 44%, respectively. However, no significant associations were found
between the levels of physical activity and the occurrence of the three
postural deviations analyzed: lumbar hyperlordosis (p
= 0.452); thoracic hyperkyphosis (p = 0.140), and
scoliosis (p = 0.894).
Table
V - Classification of the level of physical
activity, according to the occurrence or not of lumbar hyperlordosis,
thoracic hyperkyphosis, and scoliosis
Physical
activity levels were defined as healthy or not, according to the WHO (World
Health Organization) indications; PA = Physical activity; LH = Lumbar Hyperlordosis; TH = Thoracic Hyperkyphosis;
S = Scoliosis; NS = Not Significant for the qui Test
Since the objective of this research was to analyze if there is an
association between aerobic fitness, the level of physical activity, and the
occurrence of postural deviations in children and adolescents, it was possible
to identify, through the analysis of the results, that there was only
significant association between a single variable, aerobic fitness and a type
of postural deviation, the lumbar hyperlordosis in
males.
When Table I was examined, although the levels of aerobic fitness and
the occurrence or not of thoracic hyperkyphosis did
not show statistically significant results, it was observed that children and
adolescents who presented this postural change indicated similar levels of
aerobic fitness. However, when we analyzed the association between the
occurrence of lumbar hyperlordosis and scoliosis
(Table II, IV) and levels of aerobic fitness, the results indicated adequate
levels of this component of physical fitness in the group of children with
these postural deviations. Still, when we stratified the association between
the occurrence of lumbar hyperlordosis and the levels
of aerobic fitness between sexes, it was observed that, in the healthy group of
boys, the results were statistically significant (p = 0.0486), indicating that
lumbar hyperlordosis has a three times greater chance
of developing in aerobically healthy children (OR = 3.268).
This situation may be related to the fact that students have shown
greater participation in aerobic activities with the ball when compared to
students who do moderate to vigorous physical activities of muscle
strengthening during physical education classes [16]. Thus, it has also been
pointed out that boys who practice light, moderate, and vigorous sports
activities are more frequent in this type of physical exercise when compared to
the group of girls who practice physical activities in a school environment
[17]. It is noteworthy that the physical activities mentioned have the aerobic
capacity as an essential characteristic. Therefore, other components of
Health-Related Physical Fitness (HRPF), such as cardiorespiratory endurance,
muscle fitness (strength and endurance), flexibility, and body composition [18]
could be influencing the development of lumbar hyperlordosis,
thus suggesting that only and in isolation, aerobic fitness might not be a
factor in preventing postural deviations. In this sense, Molina-Garcia et al.
[19] point out that all components of physical fitness related to health are
associated with good alignment of the lumbar and thoracic spine. And yet, the
authors Coledam, Batista Júnior and Glaner [20] point out that a single component of physical
fitness related to health cannot classify the general level of this physical
condition among children and adolescents.
Other studies also signal the importance of additional components of HRPF
for the general development of the health of the child and adolescent
population, as pointed out by the researchers Ortega et al. [21]. Their
research reports that muscle strength and endurance had a higher positive
contribution to the health of the skeletal system when compared to
cardiorespiratory resistance. Still, the authors Lemos
et al. [22] pointed out, in their work, an association between lumbar hyperlordosis and low levels of strength among the children
analyzed, as it has also been observed specifically, the great preference for
physical activities that stimulate aerobic fitness among males, equally pointed
out by the research of Chen et al. [23], which reports a significant
association between this component of HRPF and the time spent on physical
activity among boys.
In table V, when analyzing the association between the level of physical
activity and the three postural deviations analyzed (thoracic hyperkyphosis, lumbar hyperlordosis,
and scoliosis), no statistically significant results were found (p > 0.05).
Our study confirms the research by Conceição,
Henrique, and Neto [9], who also found no significant
association between the level of physical activity in adolescents between 15
and 18 years of age and lumbar hyperlordosis. However,
the authors identified that boys with this pathology were physically active,
considering that the nature of physical activity directly influences the
components of physical fitness. The researchers, Oliveira et al. [24] similarly
did not show statistically significant results when they related the practice
of physical activity with the postural control of children and adolescents
between 8 and 11 years of age.
On the other hand, the study by Sedrez et al.
[8] pointed out a significant association between lumbar lordosis, back pain,
and physical exercise among students aged 11 and 16 years old. It was observed
that 95.5% of students who practiced physical activity, 59.7% were active three
or more days a week, and 56.5% practiced exercise competitively. Thus, in the
study by Latalski et al. [7], an association was also
found between postural deviations in 14-year-old children and the type of
physical activity performed (actively or passively), and it was observed that
children who exercised with passive physical activities, presented a higher
percentage of changes postural (15%) when compared to children who had postural
deviations and actively exercised (14.5%).
All of the studies mentioned above met in part the guidelines and
recommendations for the practice of physical activity, as the regularity of the
practice of physical activity must be based not only and in isolation on one of
its aspects but must cover the three pillars of support and development for the
health of children and adolescents, which are: the type, quantity, and quality
of physical exercise [3]. In this regard, the systematic review and
meta-analysis of Marker, Steele & Noser [25]
recently pointed out the need for future research to analyze the relationship
between the level of physical activity and the quality of life related to the
health of young individuals, emphasizing the importance of evaluating all
components of physical activity, such as type, intensity, duration, and
frequency. Taking into account all ACSM [18] and WHO [14] guidelines for the
practice of physical activity in children and adolescents, who recommend
aerobic physical activities of 60 minutes daily and bone-strengthening 3 times
per week, included in the weekly total of 300 minutes; in addition to performing
at least 3 times per week of muscle strengthening, from 8 to 15 repetitions of
submaximal exercise in structured and unstructured physical activities.
Boys with lumbar hyperlordosis had adequate
levels of aerobic fitness. Other risk factors seem to influence the occurrence
of lumbar hyperlordosis and, it is possible to
observe that the chance of this postural deviation manifesting itself in
children with good aerobic fitness is three times more than when compared to
unhealthy children. It indicates that perhaps other components of
Health-Related Physical Fitness, such as muscle fitness, could be influencing
the manifestation of this postural deviation.
Conflict
of interest
No conflicts of interest for this article have been reported.
Financing
source
This study was funded by CIEC (Research Center for Child Studies), by
the Strategic Project UID / CED / 00317/2013, through the National Funds of FCT
(Foundation for Science and Technology), co-financed by the European
Development Fund Regional (FEDER) through COMPETE 2020 - Operational Program
Competitiveness and Internationalization (POCI) with reference
POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007562.
Authors’
contributions
Conception of the research project:
Montenegro CM. Data collection, analysis and interpretation: Montenegro
CM. Writing of the scientific article: Montenegro CM and Santos JOL. Critical
review of intellectually important content: Tozo
TA, Pereira BO and Santos JOL.