Características posturais, composição corporal e hábitos posturais de escolares de 10 a 16 anos

Abstract

Objective: To verify the postural characteristics, body fat percentage, the body weight, the stature, the Body Mass Index and the postural habits of schoolchildren in the age group from 10 to 16. Methods: A total of 201 schoolchildren, both sexes, were evaluated. For this, the instruments used were: simetrógrafo®, plumb line, dermografic pencil, camera for the postural evaluation; a pair of cutaneous pleat compasses, tape measure and scales in order to evaluate the physical structure; and a questionnaire to verify the postural habits. It was also used the descriptive statistics, variance analysis, F Test and Tuckey Test (p <5%, statistics programme SAS). Results: The girls presented a significant higher physical fat percentage (p<0,0001), with no difference between the sexes in relation to the physical mass, height, age and Body Mass Index. However, when the students were grouped together according to the postural deviations, it was possible to verify important differences for such variants, except for the age. Only 8,96% of the evaluated people presented an aligned spine. Those students with deviations in the vertebral spine presented different postural habits. Conclusions: People with cervical hyperlordosis and thoracic hypercifosis had the highest rates of body weight and stature. On the other hand, in those with cervical hyperlordosis, lumbar hyperlordosis and scoliosis, it was possible to verify the highest rate of body fat percentage and Body Mass Index. In relation to the postural habits, the groups presented some tendencies of behavior, but not enough to characterize them, being important to highlight that those schoolchildren with an aligned spine presented more appropriate postural habits.