Kinesiology, Vol. 35. No. 2., 2003.
Original scientific paper
Paramorphic and dysmorphic changes of the thorax and of the thoracic spine in secondary school pupils
Zdenko Kosinac
; Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Education, University of Split, Croatia
Abstract
On a sample of 290 15-16 year old secondary school pupils from Split, who were divided, by gender and by education degree, into four subsets, a set of nine relevant indices for the assessment of postural deviations was used to determine the paramorphic and dysmorphic changes in the thorax and in the thoracic spine on one hand, any possible differences between the subjects as regards gender and education level on the other. The obtained results allow the following conclusions to be drawn.
The secondary school boys and girls are characterised by a very small percentage of correct body posture. Paramorphic changes of the thorax as well as the paramorphic changes in the thoracic spine are relatively frequent, which can also be said for dysmorphisms. As regards gender, the paramorphic changes of the thorax are more frequent in secondary school girls, whereas the dysmorphic changes are more frequent in secondary school boys. It was evident that the paramorphic postural changes decreased with the increase in education level. This decrease was more expressed in boys.
The results of discriminant analyses pointed to the fact that the secondary school boys differred from their female peers in the space of the analysed indices of paramorphic and dysmorphic changes in the thorax and in the thoracic spine. The asymmetry of the pectoral muscles, the kyphotic spine and keel chest were more frequent in secondary school boys, whereas scoliosis was more frequent in secondary school girls. It is necessary to implement such a system of physical exercising that would have an expressed antiparamorphic effect in order to prevent and suppress this large-scale occurrence in children at their developmental age.
Keywords
paramorphic and dysmorphic postural changes; discriminant analyses
Hrčak ID:
226872
URI
Publication date:
28.10.2003.
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