Posture in College Students: a quantitative analysis of the relationship between body alignment and physical fitness
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14288/hfjc.v14i2.304Abstract
Abstract
Background: This study arose from a need to prepare a physical education course for nursing students to help reduce their risk for back pain, by improving posture and fitness. It is hoped that the results of this study will advance the teaching of fitness from a body alignment perspective. The hypothesis was that posture and muscle fitness are correlated. Purpose: The aim of the study was to address the following questions: (1) what are the rates of alignment deficits among students? Are there relationships between alignment deficits? What is the relationship between body alignment and fitness – general muscle strength and mobility? Methods: 502 student participants assessed their body alignment, general muscle fitness and mobility. Data was entered via their cell phones into an excel sheet for analysis. Results: only 18 participants had neutral alignment; these students had better scores on muscle fitness tests. The study also identified relationships between alignment deficits. Analysis of population variance revealed that underweight, female and younger participants had higher rates of alignment deficits. Conclusions: 1. posture and muscle fitness are correlated; 2. underweight is a significant deterrent to posture; 3. cell phone usage is an important determinant of posture in the sagittal plane; 4. Hand dominance is an important determinant of posture in the frontal plane; 5. alignment in the frontal and transverse planes are correlated.
Key words: Body Alignment, Hand Dominance, Transverse Plane, Underweight, Cell Phone Usage
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