School-Related Risk Factors for Posture Disorders and Spinal Deformities in Children and Adolescents in Kazan

Abstract

Introduction: Deterioration of health of children and adolescents during school years is of particular concern to domestic experts. Myopia and diseases of the musculoskeletal system traditionally rank high in the structure of pediatric diseases. Objective: To study the prevalence of school-related risk factors for postural disorders and spinal deformities in schoolchildren of different age groups. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in December 2022 involving 278 students aged 9–15 years. We evaluated the lesson timetable, functional parameters of school furniture, weights of schoolbags and supplies, and the compliance of indoor shoes with hygienic requirements. The data were then analyzed to obtain the mean, minimum and maximum values, the share of the trait, and the significance of differences was assessed using Fisher’s exact test. Results: We found violations in organization of the educational process, such as double lessons and the absence of in-class physical activity breaks, in all grades. Evaluation of classroom furniture showed that the proportion of table and chair mismatch with the height of students in elementary school was 32.09 % and 40.30 %, decreasing by the ninth grade to 13.16 % and 21.05 %, respectively. The mean weight of the schoolbag was above the permitted level in 97.14 % of elementary school girls and in 20.68 % of girls in grades 7–8 (φemp = 8.395; p ≤ 0.001); as for boys, the recommended schoolbag weight was exceeded in 93.75 % of third to fourth graders and 28 % of seventh to eighth graders (φemp = 6.46; р ≤ 0.001). Assessment of the compliance of indoor shoes with hygienic requirements revealed a significant (φemp = 1.85; p ≤ 0.05) excess in the number of elementary school boys (71.32 %) who prefer sneakers; more than a third of girls of all age groups have ballet flats or sneakers as their indoor footwear. Conclusion: The prevalence of school-related risk factors for posture disorders is higher in elementary school, which makes it possible to predict an increase in the number of students with dorsopathy in high school. To maintain health of students, a set of measures has been proposed to minimize the adverse impact of school-related risk factors.