Somatic status of boys and girls starting primary school
Paušić Jelena1), Marijana Čavala2)
1) Faculty of natural science, mathematics and education, Department of Kinesiology, Split, Croatia
2) Handball club ‘’Split-Kaltenberg’’
Introduction
Paušić Jelena1), Marijana Čavala2)
1) Faculty of natural science, mathematics and education, Department of Kinesiology, Split, Croatia
2) Handball club ‘’Split-Kaltenberg’’
Introduction
It has been generally known that children, starting education at the age of seven, come under growing pressure which results in changes of the locomotory system. Nowadays, children more frequently tend to spend their spare time sitting in front of a computer or a television and less in active playing. The aim of this paper is to establish the state of the somatic indicators of the children when starting primary school in order to enable the insight into their own state to their teachers, parents and others who have a major role in a child’s development to act with the aim of decreasing and dosing more regularly the pressure at school or in free time.
Methods
The research was conducted on the sample of 169 girls and boys in the first grade of primary school. The somatic indicators are: SC_DIFF1-difference between distance from scapula’s upper edge to the spine (cm), SC_ALT1-the difference between highs of scapula’s upper edge (cm), SC_DIFF2-difference between distance from scapula’s lower edge to spine(cm), SC_ALT1-difference between highs of scapula’s lower edge (cm), SHO_ALT- difference between highs of shoulders (cm), PAP_DIF- difference between the distance of nipples (cm), PAP_ALT- difference between highs of nipples (cm), PEC_EXC- pectum excavatum (normal, have deformity), PEC_CAR- pectum carinatum (normal, have deformity), SIDE BACK- side of deformity for back somatic indicators, SIDE THOR- side of deformity for thorax somatic indicators, D_BACK- any deformation of back’s somatic indicators, D_THOR-any deformation of thorax’s somatic indicators. The dates were processed by determination of frequencies and percentages of all somatic indicators.
The research was conducted on the sample of 169 girls and boys in the first grade of primary school. The somatic indicators are: SC_DIFF1-difference between distance from scapula’s upper edge to the spine (cm), SC_ALT1-the difference between highs of scapula’s upper edge (cm), SC_DIFF2-difference between distance from scapula’s lower edge to spine(cm), SC_ALT1-difference between highs of scapula’s lower edge (cm), SHO_ALT- difference between highs of shoulders (cm), PAP_DIF- difference between the distance of nipples (cm), PAP_ALT- difference between highs of nipples (cm), PEC_EXC- pectum excavatum (normal, have deformity), PEC_CAR- pectum carinatum (normal, have deformity), SIDE BACK- side of deformity for back somatic indicators, SIDE THOR- side of deformity for thorax somatic indicators, D_BACK- any deformation of back’s somatic indicators, D_THOR-any deformation of thorax’s somatic indicators. The dates were processed by determination of frequencies and percentages of all somatic indicators.
Results
The results show that, from the aspect of gender, children do not differ significantly at this age, which was expected. An essential conclusion is to be brought from these results and that is the existence of a high percentage of locomotory system deformities. Through significance percentage analysis it has been established that the percentage of the thorax deformities is significant at p‹ .003. Table 1 also shows that 49.1% of the examined children have deformities in back somatic indicators and 55.1% of the children have these in thorax somatic indicators. These percentages show that there is a great percentage of deformities, so-called paramorfism of the locomotory system in children starting primary school.
The results show that, from the aspect of gender, children do not differ significantly at this age, which was expected. An essential conclusion is to be brought from these results and that is the existence of a high percentage of locomotory system deformities. Through significance percentage analysis it has been established that the percentage of the thorax deformities is significant at p‹ .003. Table 1 also shows that 49.1% of the examined children have deformities in back somatic indicators and 55.1% of the children have these in thorax somatic indicators. These percentages show that there is a great percentage of deformities, so-called paramorfism of the locomotory system in children starting primary school.
Table 1: Frequency’s (percentages) of somatic indicators for both genders
Discussion/Conclusion
It has been discovered that there are significant deformities in body posture in children of the both genders starting primary school. These are the children who have not felt more considerable school pressures (spending a lot of time at a classroom desk, carrying heavy school bag...), and already 16.5% out of 32.9% have deformity, i.e. asymmetries of some somatic indicators by 1 cm, and 3.6% out of 19.1% of the children have 2 cm or more. It has also been established that the dominant asymmetrical side of the body is the left one. As many authors claim, the dominant side of the body is at the same time even lower in deformed persons. Therefore we can conclude that left side is asymmetrical in right-handed children, while in the left-handed ones, it would be the right side. Simultaneously, we have discovered a large number of thorax deformities. The percentage of boys with thorax deformities is significantly higher than the number of the mentioned in girls, and it is evident that recessed thoraxes are observable in both genders.
In the end it should be mentioned that we have discovered a permanent presence of asymmetry in locomotory system of children at this age. With this conclusion we urge parents, teachers and all of those who are concerned with the proper growth and development of children to contribute to suppression of this extensive phenomenon which can lead up to multiple psycho-somatic consequences at an older age.
It has been discovered that there are significant deformities in body posture in children of the both genders starting primary school. These are the children who have not felt more considerable school pressures (spending a lot of time at a classroom desk, carrying heavy school bag...), and already 16.5% out of 32.9% have deformity, i.e. asymmetries of some somatic indicators by 1 cm, and 3.6% out of 19.1% of the children have 2 cm or more. It has also been established that the dominant asymmetrical side of the body is the left one. As many authors claim, the dominant side of the body is at the same time even lower in deformed persons. Therefore we can conclude that left side is asymmetrical in right-handed children, while in the left-handed ones, it would be the right side. Simultaneously, we have discovered a large number of thorax deformities. The percentage of boys with thorax deformities is significantly higher than the number of the mentioned in girls, and it is evident that recessed thoraxes are observable in both genders.
In the end it should be mentioned that we have discovered a permanent presence of asymmetry in locomotory system of children at this age. With this conclusion we urge parents, teachers and all of those who are concerned with the proper growth and development of children to contribute to suppression of this extensive phenomenon which can lead up to multiple psycho-somatic consequences at an older age.
References
Kosinac Z (2002). Kinesiotherapy of locomotors system
Bižaca J and R Kučić (1999).Proceeding book, Kinesiology for the 21th century:120-122
Kosinac Z (2002). Kinesiotherapy of locomotors system
Bižaca J and R Kučić (1999).Proceeding book, Kinesiology for the 21th century:120-122
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