The influence of the intervention program on the prevention of functional disorders of the musculoskeletal system in children

Abstract

Physical activity is essential to children's lives, particularly in preventing and eliminating musculoskeletal disorders. This study aims to present the effectiveness of an engaging movement program integrated into primary education to address functional muscle system disorders in pupils. The research sample comprised 63 pupils, including boys (n=30) aged 10.21±0.42 years and girls (n=32) aged 10.32±0.37 years. The intervention program, comprising music-based movement and dance activities, was implemented over 18 weeks, twice a week for 45 minutes, as part of Physical Education classes. Data collection methods included a standardized frontal test for assessing postural and phasic muscles according Jurašková, Junger & Junger (2019). The evaluation focused on eight muscles prone to shortening (postural) and five muscles prone to weakness (phasic). Based on the statistical evaluation, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to verify the effect of the implemented movement program at a significance level of 0.05. The research results confirmed the occurrence of muscle imbalance in 69.4% of the tested primary school pupils at the beginning of the study, with a higher prevalence in boys (76.6%) compared to girls (62.5%). The most shortened muscle in both genders was the musculus rectus femoris, with a prevalence of 60% in boys and 40.6% in girls. The most weakened muscles were the hip extensors. The applied intervention program significantly reduced muscle shortening in both genders in the following segments: m. triceps surae, m. rectus femoris, knee flexors, hip adductors, m. quadratus lumborum, m. erector spinae, and m. trapezius (p>0.05). A positive effect was also confirmed in strengthening muscles that tend to weaken hip extensors, neck flexors, m. abdominis, hip abductors, and lower scapular fixators (p>0.05). The results of our study confirmed the importance of incorporating an intervention program, including musicmovement and dance activities, into school physical education to prevent muscle imbalances and reduction of functional muscular system disorders in the observed pupils.