Effects of a School-based Exercise Program on Posture, Trunk Range of Motion, and Musculoskeletal Pain

September 29, 2014 updated by: Mariana Vieira Batistão, Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos

Effects of a School-based Exercise Program on Posture, Trunk Range of Motion, and Musculoskeletal Pain - A Randomized, Controlled Trial

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a school-based exercise program on posture, trunk range of motion and musculoskeletal pain in schoolchildren. This study was a Randomized controlled trial. The hypothesis was that the exercise group would have the postural deviations corrected, would have the trunk range of motion increased and would have the prevalence of pain decreased, while the control group would have not. Three schools from Brazil participated. The students that have been included (n=300) were randomly allocated to experimental (EG) or control group (CG). The intervention for EG consisted in a program based on stretching and strengthening exercises, applied twice a week, for eight weeks, with group sessions of 50 minutes. CG did not perform any intervention. Qualitative and quantitative postural evaluation (PAS/SAPO), musculoskeletal pain (self-report) and trunk mobility were collected.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

300

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Brazil
    • São Paulo
      • São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil, 13.565-905
        • Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

5 years to 18 years (ADULT, CHILD)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria: to attend elementary school and deliver the consent term signed by the parents.

-

Exclusion Criteria: presence of disability on musculoskeletal or neurological system, exercise intolerance or attendance less than 50% in the exercise sections

-

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: PARALLEL
  • Masking: NONE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
NO_INTERVENTION: Control group
EXPERIMENTAL: School-based exercise program
Other: School-based exercise program
The exercise program was applied, twice a week, for 8 weeks, with sessions of 50 minutes, in groups of 10 students. The exercise program was elaborate to restore muscular balance through flexibility, endurance and muscular strength. To promote flexibility stretching exercises for rotator neck muscles, lateral neck flexors, levator scapulae, upper trapezius, erector spinae, major and minor pectoralis, rhomboids, spinal lateral flexors, column rotators, piriformis, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip adductors and abductors were applied. Strengthening exercises were applied for the development of strength, endurance and control of deep flexor muscles of the cervical spine, stabilizers of the glenohumeral joint and scapula, abdominals, spine extensors and hip extensors.
Other Names:
  • Intervention group
  • Exercise group
  • Program based on stretching and strengthening exercises

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Changes in the qualitative postural assessment from the baseline
Time Frame: Two time points: baseline and 9 weeks
Qualitative postural assessment was performed by a physiotherapist through the photographic records. The photos were recorded with the students in swimsuits and no shoes. The subject was positioned over the gyratory platform to avoid reposition for the photographic record, besides the plumb line, with the feet lined and separated by hip width. The records were performed in the frontal and sagittal planes, in the anterior, posterior and lateral view. According to the positioning of the structures in relation to the plumb line, the presence of postural changes was classified by the physiotherapist. Lateral tilt and forward head, shoulder protrusion, cervical lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, and lumbar lordosis were evaluated.
Two time points: baseline and 9 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Changes in the quantitative postural assessment from the baseline
Time Frame: Two time points: baseline and 9 weeks

Postural Assessment Software (PAS/SAPo) was used to quantitatively assess posture. Reflective markers were placed by a trained physiotherapist on the anatomical landmarks of the subject. The subject was positioned over the gyratory platform, and photographic records were performed in the frontal and sagittal planes, in the anterior, posterior and lateral view.

The analysis followed the guidelines of PAS/SAPo. The photos were aligned and calibrated. The reflective markers were identified and the protocol of measures of the PAS/SAPo was used, providing the following parameters: horizontal alignment of the acromions, horizontal alignment of the ASIS, angle between acromions and ASIS, vertical alignment of the trunk, horizontal alignment of the pelvis, horizontal alignment of the head, vertical alignment of the head.
Two time points: baseline and 9 weeks
Changes in trunk range of motion from baseline
Time Frame: Two time points: baseline and 9 weeks
A photogrammetric technique was used to measure the trunk flexion angle. This angle is formed between the line joining the markers attached on anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) and greater trochanter and the line joining the marker fixed on the spinous process of the C7 vertebra and the one fixed on the ASIS. Two photographs were recorded; one in the upright position and the other in maximum trunk flexion. The trunk mobility was estimated by the difference between the values obtained in the two photographs. This procedure was performed in PAS/SAPo software.
Two time points: baseline and 9 weeks
Changes in the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain from baseline
Time Frame: Two time points: baseline and 9 weeks
The presence of pain was evaluated by self-report. The Nordic Questionnaire of Musculoskeletal Symptoms body map was used to provide pain localization and data from musculoskeletal pain during the last 7 days. The pain intensity was also investigated by asking to the children about their pain in a 11-point scale, in which 0 is lack of pain and 10 is the greatest pain that the children had ever experienced.
Two time points: baseline and 9 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos

Collaborators

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior.
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Mariana V Batistão, Master, Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos
  • Study Director: Tatiana O Sato, Doctorade, Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

December 1, 2008

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

December 1, 2012

Study Completion (ACTUAL)

December 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 24, 2014

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 29, 2014

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

October 2, 2014

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE)

October 2, 2014

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 29, 2014

Last Verified

September 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 472552/2010-4

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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