Prevention of posture disorders in school-age children

Physical training and prevention of posture disorders is one of the most important and urgent problems of the state. The health of the nation is the key to its prosperity, this is the decisive potential that ultimately determines the fate of any reforms. The potential of physical education is that it affects not only the motor activity of a person, but also his moral, social and spiritual qualities. The content of a person's motor activity is his systematic, motivated activity aimed at his physical improvement, therefore it is considered the main sphere of formation of the physical culture of the individual.

In the process of physical improvement of a person, two interconnected systems of events are formed: the pedagogical process aimed at developing the motor abilities of a person, and the system of organized events that determine and regulate the development of physical education in the country. Many specialists note the relationship between the organization and methodology of physical education and the health of children and youth.

At school age, the goal of physical education is specified by the following health-improving tasks:

• prevention of posture disorders;
• harmonious development of all physical qualities, taking into account sensitive periods;
• achieving the proper level of physical fitness that ensures a high level of physical health.

As Krutsevich (2000-2002) notes, the current organization of the process of physical education of children and adolescents in Ukraine is not manageable, since it does not achieve the main goal - a high level of physical health of the younger generation.

Prevention of posture disorders in school-age children is impossible without a properly organized, controlled process of physical education.

In physical education, management is understood as the process of purposeful, controlled and regulated change in human motor capabilities. The levels of health, physical performance and social activity of the population are the criteria for the effectiveness of this process.

The main component of physical education is physical exercise.

Physical education as a process of purposeful change of forms and functions of the organism by means specific and not specific to it is a set of organizational and pedagogical means aimed at improving the physical condition of a person. In the sphere of physical education the ideas and principles of the systemic approach are becoming more widespread.

Based on the theoretical provisions of the system approach when studying an integral object, it is necessary to pay attention to those features that characterize this object as a whole. Within a single system, they are considered as interconnected parts of the whole. Therefore, the system is considered as a set of interacting components, connections and relationships united by the unity of the goal. Achieving the goal is the main task of management.

In the field of physical culture, management is carried out in several directions:

• management of social systems;
• control of biological systems;
• management of technological systems.

The listed directions have their own purpose and corresponding basic laws: social, biological and technological. In pedagogy, management is carried out in the presence of:

• specific management objective;
• object and management bodies;
• the ability of a controlled object to transition from one state to another;
• the ability of a controlled object to create control effects;
• the ability of the control object to perceive these effects;
• the possibility of choosing a management decision from a certain set or set of decisions;
• certain material management resources;
• information about the current state of the control object;
• the ability to assess management quality, etc.

When selecting control actions and drawing up physical culture and health programs, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the use of means, methods and forms of organizing classes in different age periods, associated with the patterns of development in ontogenesis and the individual characteristics of the child's body. They can vary within the range of one age period and depend on hereditary factors, environmental conditions in which the child is brought up, typological properties of the nervous system, the level of functional state, and also affect the biological age, which may not correspond to the chronological age.

Today, we can identify a number of factors that influence the formation of correct posture.

The involvement of school-age children in physical exercise and sports depends, first of all, on the environment - the state, society, school, parents, friends and their attitude to physical education and sports. Socio-economic conditions and, first of all, the standard of living of the population, housing conditions, the availability of sports facilities in the country and in the given area, personnel, the distribution of free time affect the attitude of others and society to this problem, on the formation of an individual approach to physical education. The existing system in the country plays an important role

• Diseases
• Physical activity
• Statodynamic mode
• Violations of hygiene in study and work
• Socio-economic
• The quality of functioning of social systems that ensure the normal development of the child
• Ecology
• Nutrition
• Heredity
• Development of the musculoskeletal system
• Ontogenesis of motor skills in individual age periods
• Means of objective, operational and integral diagnostics of the functional state of posture
• Ergonomic requirements for children's furniture, clothing and footwear
• The forces acting on a person and considered in relation to his body (external and internal) formations, the place and role of physical education and sport in this system, the availability of modern programs and their implementation by qualified physical education teachers.

The level of physical activity at school age is largely determined not by the age-related need for it (kinesiphilia), but by the organization of physical education at school, involving children in organized and independent activities outside of school hours.

The comprehensive prevention of posture disorders adopted in Ukraine, in addition to two mandatory lessons per week, provides for additional and optional classes and physical exercises in the daily routine. Children should exercise daily for about two hours. But even under the most favorable conditions, in practice, a comprehensive school is unable to provide the necessary amount of physical activity, so in fact, specially organized physical activity is limited to 3-4 hours per week for the majority of schoolchildren, which is 30% of the hygienic norm.

Children attending the Youth Sports School are engaged in training from 8 to 24-28 hours a week, which is several times higher than the weekly workload of those studying in general education schools.

Early sports specialization, which creates hyperkinesia (excessive motor activity), has recently become widespread in sports. Research by a number of authors has shown that this causes a specific complex of functional disorders and clinical changes, referred to as a state of hyperkinesia. This condition is accompanied by dangerous changes in the central nervous system and neuroregulatory apparatus of children. Depletion of the sympathoadrenal system, protein deficiency, and decreased immunity of the body are noted.

Despite the commonality of theoretical positions on the criteria of age-related norms of motor activity of children and adolescents, different authors provide different indicators characterizing these norms. Sukharev (1982) developed hygienic standards of daily locomotion for children and adolescents using a pedometer.

Silla (1984) suggests standardizing physical activity according to the type of activity.

The criteria provided by the authors can be used as a guideline for assessing the motor activity of a specific age group of children in comparison with the living conditions, education, and organization of the physical education process. However, they are very difficult to use to determine an individual norm. An individual norm of motor activity should be based on its appropriateness and health benefits. To do this, it is necessary to focus on indicators characterizing the health of children. It is important to know for what purpose and what level of physical condition must be achieved.

As evidenced by the data of many researchers, anthropogenic factors of the environment affect the phenotypic adaptation of the human body. Determining the degree of influence of a specific factor is a difficult task, but the methods used in population genetics, where groups are studied according to the established phenotype and characteristic features of the habitat, make it possible to identify the influence of leading factors and the direction of their action, which is extremely important for the correction of the physical education process in the management system.

Diet and food are of great importance for maintaining good health of school-age children. A healthy diet depends not only on each individual nutrient, but also on the overall structure of the diet. The basic principle of nutrition is the consumption of a variety of foods. This is the basis for structuring the diet according to the four main food groups.

If a child for some reason finds himself in unfavorable conditions (illness, malnutrition, etc.), then the rate of motor development slows down. However, after these negative influences are eliminated, if they were not excessive, his motor abilities develop at an accelerated rate.

Prevention of posture disorders in school-age children is based on the organization of a static-dynamic regime, which requires compliance with a number of conditions.

The child should do health or special gymnastics every day. The minimum duration of classes is 20 minutes, the optimal is 40 minutes. The duration of classes has a great influence on the working posture of children. High school students need to take breaks every 40-45 minutes, and first-graders - every 30-35 minutes.

Children's furniture is selected in accordance with ergonomic requirements:

• the height of the table should be such that the distance from the child's eyes to the surface of the table is about 30 cm. This can be easily verified by a simple test: if you place your hand on your elbow, your middle finger should reach the corner of your eye;
• with the head in a vertical position, the axis of calm gaze is directed downwards from the horizontal at an angle of about 15°. The boundaries of optimal visibility extend from the horizontal downwards to an angle of approximately 30°;
• in the horizontal plane, the optimal viewing angle is ±15°; turning the head to the side increases the boundaries of the useful zone to ±60°; with simultaneous turning of the head and eyes, the visibility zone expands to ±95°;
• the height of the chairs (the distance between the seat surface and the floor) should correspond to the anthropometric dimensions of the children's body. For schoolchildren, the height of the chairs should correspond to one third of their height, i.e. 400-600 mm;
• The maximum depth of the chairs should be 1/3 of the anatomical length of the thighs (with a minimum value of 350 mm).

No other element of a chair affects the pressure in the intervertebral discs as significantly as the design of the back:

• the exact height of the backrest projection is not of significant importance, as long as it is at the level of the lumbar region;
• additional support at the level of the shoulder blades, created by the curvature of the back of the chair, leads to an increase in intradiscal pressure and cannot be recommended;
• the general backward tilt of the back reduces intradiscal pressure to a very small extent or does not reduce it at all;
• with a backrest protrusion depth of 40 mm, the natural lumbar lordosis is maintained; increasing the backrest protrusion to 50 mm leads to a decrease in intradiscal pressure;
• the tilt of the work surface, depending on the type of work, can vary from 0° to almost 90°. Experiments with reading and writing on work surfaces with a tilt of 0, 12, 24° showed that at these angles the posture was more correct, muscle activity was less, and fatigue and discomfort in the back area were reduced. In this regard, the recommended tilt angle of the work surface is 10-20°;
• the width of the working surface should not be less than the working space in the horizontal plane. For writing, the recommended width of the working surface is 500 mm (380 is the working area and the rest is for papers and other materials); 100 mm of the plane can be horizontal, the rest is inclined.

In order for the working posture while writing to be optimal, you should follow a number of rules:

• the angle between the plane of the footrest and the longitudinal axis should be about 80°;
• the thighs on the chair are positioned horizontally, while the angle at the knee joint is about 80°;
• the seat back tilt is 100-105°;
• the forearm is positioned horizontally at the level of the working surface.

With such a working position, the pressure on the intervertebral discs is relatively small and evenly distributed over the front and back of the disc. During work, you should constantly fight against incorrect postures. Oblique position of the shoulder girdle when writing (when the left hand is hanging off the table), or oblique position of the pelvis (when the child sits with a leg tucked under the buttock), or the habit of standing with support on the same leg, bending the other at the knee. These and other bad postures lead to posture disorders.

A child with posture defects should be freed from any additional activities associated with prolonged sitting or an asymmetrical static posture. It is not recommended to carry a school bag in the same hand, and in elementary school it is better to buy a school bag for the child. After classes at school, the child should lie down for 1 - 1.5 hours in order to normalize the tone of the back muscles and relieve the spinal column. The child's bed should be semi-rigid, flat, stable, the pillow should be low, preferably orthopedic.

Clothes and shoes are of no small importance for the formation of correct posture in children. Clothes, belts and elastic bands should not be restrictive, impede breathing and blood circulation. The same requirements apply to shoes. Tight shoes disrupt the formation of the arch of the foot, which leads to flat feet. In addition, wearing tight shoes may cause ingrown nails and abrasions. All this makes the child's gait uncertain, tense, and posture uneven.

Without a properly structured regime and the implementation of the above-listed simple hygienic recommendations, any treatment measures and efforts will be ineffective. All these seemingly insignificant details are of great importance for the prevention of posture disorders in schoolchildren.

In addition, in the process of forming posture, it is necessary to adhere to a number of general methodological rules:

• take into account age-related features of the formation and development of the musculoskeletal system based on the ossification of the human skeleton;
• take into account sensitive periods of development of human physical qualities during ontogenesis;
• harmoniously develop muscle strength;
• use adequate methods and techniques for the consistent formation of posture and correct bearing, etc.

Prevention of posture disorders in children is based, first of all, on uniform and harmonious physical development, the ability to coordinate movements and control them.

The musculoskeletal system most demonstratively reflects the general signs of age-related development. Changes in the parameters of bone and muscle tissue are striking both during progressive growth of the organism and during involution.

Primary school age is characterized by relatively uniform development of the musculoskeletal system, but the growth rate of its individual dimensional features is different. Thus, body length increases during this period to a greater extent than its weight. Changes also occur in body proportions: the ratio of chest circumference to body length changes, legs become relatively longer. Although the difference in total body sizes between boys and girls is still insignificant, chest circumference and VC are smaller in girls.

In younger schoolchildren, ossification of the skeleton continues, in particular, the ossification of the phalanges of the fingers is completed. The joints of children of this age are very mobile, the ligamentous apparatus is elastic, the skeleton contains a large amount of cartilaginous tissue. At the same time, the curves of the spinal column are gradually fixed: cervical and thoracic - by 7 years, lumbar - by 12. Up to 8-9 years, the spinal column retains great mobility.

The muscles of children of primary school age have thin fibers, contain a small amount of protein and fat. At the same time, large muscles of the limbs are more developed than small ones. The innervation apparatus of muscles reaches a fairly high level of development. In those muscles that experience a large load, the intensity of changes in blood supply and innervation is expressed more.

Primary school age is the most important period in the formation of a child's motor coordination. At this age, the foundations of a culture of movements are laid, new, previously unknown exercises and actions, physical education knowledge are successfully mastered.

Changes in lifestyle associated with the start of school, as well as the still unfinished process of formation of the musculoskeletal system, necessitate caution when dosing physical activity for younger schoolchildren. Prevention of posture disorders consists of limiting the use of strength exercises, endurance training loads, and the time of individual classes.

During this period, individual interests and motivations for physical exercise are formed.

Adolescence is the period of maximum growth rates of the entire human organism and its individual biolinks. It is characterized by increased oxidative processes, increased sexual maturation. Intensive growth and increase in all body sizes are called the second growth spurt, or the second "stretching".

During this period, there are significant differences in the rhythm of body development in girls and boys. Thus, in boys, the maximum rate of body growth in length is noted at 13-14 years, and in girls - at 11-12. During this period, body proportions change rapidly, approaching the parameters characteristic of an adult.

In adolescents, the long tubular bones of the limbs and vertebrae grow rapidly. At the same time, the bones grow mainly in length, and their growth in width is insignificant. At this age, the ossification of the wrist and metacarpal bones ends, while ossification zones only appear in the intervertebral discs. The spinal column of an adolescent is still very mobile.

During adolescence, the muscular system develops at a fairly rapid pace, which is especially evident in the development of muscles, tendons, the joint-ligament apparatus, and tissue differentiation. The overall muscle mass increases sharply, its acceleration is especially noticeable in boys at 13-14 years of age and in girls at 11-12 years of age. The development of the innervation apparatus of muscles is basically completed during adolescence.

Middle school age coincides with the period of completion of biological maturation of the organism. At this time, the motor individuality inherent in an adult is finally formed. Adolescents are characterized by deterioration of motor coordination with intensive development of speed and speed-strength qualities.

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