OBJECTIVE: To find out the prevalence of and factors associated with backbone postural changes in 10 to 16 year-old schoolchildren of Tangará, SC, Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out. Clinical physiotherapeutic examinations and interviews were performed. Students' weight and height were also collected. Students' age, education and dominance, as well as schooling of parents and family income were asked during the interview. Chi-square and Fisher's exact test were used to observe the associations between study variables. RESULTS: The prevalence of backbone postural changes was 28.2%. The two most frequent changes were high concavity with 20.3% and high kyphosis with 11.0%. Shorter height students showed a higher prevalence of backbone postural changes. Moreover, shorter height and lower body weight were statistically associated with a higher occurrence of high concavity. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of backbone postural changes was 28.2%. Individuals with lower height and body weight showed a higher prevalence of backbone postural alterations.
Postural alteration; Backbone; Prevalence; Schoolchildren
