Obesity In Childhood Leads To Poor Posture And Back Pain
Children and Obesity, Students Health11 Apr 2011
Children who are overweight needs to take enough precautions as obesity can lead to poor postures linked to back pain. This is found by the research team of Curtin University’s School of Physiotherapy, the Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.
The research team compared the Body Mass Index (BMI, a common benchmark for obesity), of 1,373 children from the long-term Raine Study over a period of 12 years (from the age of three to 14) with specific standing postures measured at age 14. Results showed there was a clear relationship between BMI and posture.
Four main posture groups were defined – neutral, flat, sway and hyperlordotic. These were categorised by angular measurements of the pelvis and spine of the teenagers photographed from side on. The findings also indicated that BMI tracks fairly steadily from early life through to adolescence.
The next step of the research team is to look at data from the teenagers at 17 years of age, to explore in more detail the links between posture, obesity and back pain.
Tags: back pain, children, health issues., obesity