Profile analysis of rural and urban schoolchildren: life style and postural habits

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the profile of 7-to-14-year-old male and female schoolchildren with regard to their life style and postural habits. It was carried out through a specific protocol for this project, including open and close questions. The analysis of the results led to the following conclusions: a) parents need to be clarified about their children’s necessity of leisure time; b) the schoolchildren studied spend too little time on sports practice and physical activies; c) their postural habits revealed a predominance of fetal sleeping position on foam rubber mattresses, the use of backpacks to carry their school materials and the sitting position at the desk with flexed legs and the feet touching the floor; d) rural schoolchildren have less leisure time available to practice sports and other specific physical activities because after school time they work with their parents in the fields; e) a high rate of spine radiographies was detected.