ABSTRACT
Postural deformities are a commonly encountered
problem among children. Most of the aches and
pains of adults are the result, not of injuries, but of
the long-term effects of distortions in posture or
alignment that have their origins in childhood or
adolescence. Television, video entertainment,
motorized transportation, fast food and lack of
regular physical activity contribute to the poor
physical condition of children. Childhood obesity
has increased dramatically in the past decade.
Countries in economic transition from
underdeveloped to developed, such as South Africa,
are particularly affected and have an increasing
prevalence of obesity across all economic levels and
age groups. In a developing country like South
Africa, where overweight/obesity co-exists with
undernutrition, there is an urgent need to prevent
unhealthy trends in diet and physical activity.
School screening is mandatory in schools in 26
states of the United States (US) for children between
10 and 16 years of age. Previous studies conducted
in the US found that 160 out of 1000 people suffer
from scoliosis (Boachie-Adjei & Lonner, 1996).
This means that scoliosis is as prevalent as
hypertension or diabetes mellitus. Identification of
postural deformities at an early stage makes early
treatment possible, which may, in future, prevent
serious postural abnormalities. The aim of this
review article is to define the concept of good
posture, analyze normal postural development and
postural deformities, and discuss some of the
developmental factors affecting posture.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:tut/oai:encore.tut.ac.za:d1001662 |
| Date | 30 June 2009 |
| Creators | Stroebel, S, De Ridder, JH, Wilders, CJ |
| Publisher | African Journal for Physical, Health Education, Recreation and Dance |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | |
| Rights | African Journal for Physical, Health Education, Recreation and Dance (AJPHERD) |
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