Posture defects among 5th grade pupils from music class at an Elementary School Complex No. 2 in Szczecin

Pupils attending elementary music schools (1st cycle) are gifted children, often from families with long-term, multi-generation traditions, and musical passion. Music is an important aspect of their lives, and high-level music performance requires systematic, daily practice from the beginning of their music education. Due to numerous years of practicing, these children are prone to incorrect body statics and torso asymmetries. It mainly results from a forced position during practice and concerts. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of faulty body postures amongst 11-year-old 5th-graders from music and general profile classes. A subject group consisted of 70 children aged 11 from the Elementary School Complex No. 2 in Szczecin (Poland); it included 46 (65.7%) girls and 24 (34.3%) boys; children attended 5th grade with either a music or general profile. The subjects were measured twice: at the beginning and at the end of the school year. The first measurement took place in September, while the second one in June of the following year. In the assessment of body posture, the surface topography examination (ST) method was used, based on the technique of spatial photogrammetry. The angle of thoracic kyphosis and angle of lumbar lordosis in the sagittal plane were analyzed. The signs of correct posture in the sagittal plane were found in 62% of girls in the music class and 73% in the control group. Among boys, the results were 71% and 75%, respectively. 31% of girls from music class had round back, while only 14% in the control group; among boys, the results were 25% and 16%, respectively. Flat backs were found in 6% of girls in the music class and 12% in the control group, while for boys it was 4% and 13%, respectively. Based on the conducted research, the following conclusions were drawn: The physiological spine curvatures of pupils from the music class were deepened, compared to their peers in the control group. Posture defects (with the exception of flat back) were more common among girls from the music class. The incidence of postural defects among boys from the music and control classes was similar. The curriculum of physical education classes in music-specialized groups should be modified to include exercises which increase the mobility range of the shoulder and pelvic girdle.