Fettweis, Tatiana ; Université de Liège > Département des sciences de la motricité > Kinésithérapie générale et réadaptation
Nattier, Elodie
Vanderthommen, Marc ; Université de Liège > Département des sciences de la motricité > Kinésithérapie spécifique et réadaptation motrice
Language :
English
Title :
Impact of postural education on child’s sitting position in classroom and on back pain
Publication date :
November 2016
Event name :
8ème congrès biannuel de la Belgian Back Society
Event date :
26 novembre 2016
Commentary :
Introduction
Low back pain concerns 70% of a global population and can appear as soon as primary school; mainly due to poor sitting position.
Purpose
This study aimed to evaluate the influence of school furniture associated with postural education on schoolchildren’s sitting position in classroom and on back complaints.
Materials and Methods
Seventy-seven first primary schoolchildren were divided into an experimental group (EG) (n=46) and a control group (CG) (n=31) and took part in this 2-school-year-cluster randomized controlled study including 5 phases of evaluation (E1 to E5) consisting of assessing the children’s sitting position (SP) with a specific observation form. In the first year, the children’s SP was assessed before any intervention (E1), after having provided a triangular cushion and 3 months of postural education (E2) and after 6 months using the cushion (E3). In the second year, the holiday effect was evaluated (E4) and last, SP was assessed after 2 years using the cushion (E5). A questionnaire about spinal pains was submitted at the end of each school-year.
Results
Compared with the CG, the EG children significantly improved their SP at each step of the study (p<0.04), except from E3 to E4. So, the SP was optimized when ergonomic interventions (triangular cushion) were combined with postural education. Furthermore, the intervention tends to decrease low back complaints.
Conclusions
The children’s sitting position in the classroom was improved using ergonomic furniture combined with a postural intervention. This approach also tends to reduce back complaints. Further studies are needed to confirm those results. A better and more comfortable sitting position could improve behavior and concentration in primary school children.
