Exemplification of Movement Patterns and Their Influence on Body Posture in Younger School-Age Children on the Basis of an Authorial Program “I Take Care of My Spine”

Exemplification of movement patterns is most noticeable in the youngest pupils group. Generally, children do not know which patterns are correct and which ones are risk factors. After correcting and stabilizing some improper patterns, a child can perform their daily activities without constant cognizance of their appropriateness. The concept of this research is included in a paradigm for the quality research conducted as action-research, which assumed a quality and efficiency improvement of health education in Polish schools. The main aim of this study was to encourage pupils, their parents and teachers to perform pro-health behaviors oriented toward maintaining an appropriate body posture. First, the study aimed to assess the postures of children involved in the authorial program “I take care of my spine” in comparison with a group of children without diagnosed postural defects and not involved in the curriculum. The examinations covered a group of 144 children (group A) ages 7 to 9 years (mean 7.60 ± 0.64 years) with appropriate body postures recognized in the screening test, which was conducted at a school where the curriculum “I take care of my spine” was launched. The control group included 222 healthy children at a similar age who attended schools where the curriculum was not implemented. The examinations were performed 2 times, as follows: the first time occurred before the program “I take care of my spine” was launched (initial examination), and the second time after 9 to 10 months of full participation in the program's activities and after 1 year of observation of children from group B (final examination). A significant improvement of posturometric parameters in the main group and worsening of the parameters in the control group were noted. The results in examined groups of children and diversification of the results were linked to implementing the prevention program in the main group. In the group of children involved in the postural prevention program, the weight of school bags was significantly reduced. This objective was particularly important for students because the manner of movement pattern exemplification will influence children's lives in the future, and in a wider perspective, it will play a crucial role in assessing their quality of life as adults.