Influence of nutritional status and physical activity on the posture of children and ­adolescents

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of nutritional status and physical activity on the posture of children and adolescents. Sixty individuals from both genders aged between 5 years and 14 years were evaluated. The posture was assessed by photogrammetry. The physical activity level was determined through the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C). The nutritional status classification was made using the body mass index for age and gender. The results showed that the physical activity variable had an effect on the shoulder and body asymmetry angles (p<0.05). The active group presented greater asymmetry in the shoulder and body asymmetry angles compared to the sedentary group (p<0.05). The nutritional status did not affect any postural angle (p>;0.05). There was no interactive effect between the evaluated variables on the postural angles (p>;0.05). The development of preventive and interventionist actions, such as controlled physical activity and nutritional monitoring, is important for the postural alignment of school children and school adolescents.