title: [Primary prevention program of the Hungarian Spine Society--Part II. A prospective controlled study of exercises for the improvement of posture].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The primary prevention program of the Hungarian Spine Society is set around 12 test exercises that assess performance of postural muscles and then develops their strength and flexibility. By this the scheme aims to make the biomechanically correct use of the spinal column spontaneous.
  
  
  METHODS
  The application of the scheme in the frame of physical education in a primary school was investigated in a prospective controlled study in the school-year of 2001/2002. Participating children were aged 6 to 14. The intervention group (n=200) regularly did the posture correction exercises with their teacher's direction in physical education classes, while the control group (n=213) did not. The 12 test exercises of the posture correction scheme of the Hungarian Spine Society were tested by an independent physiotherapist at the beginning and at the end of the school-year in both groups. Results were analyzed by paired and unpaired t-tests and by a chi-square test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of the school-year the strength and flexibility of the postural muscles of the intervention group improved significantly compared both to their own performance (p<0.01) at the beginning of the school-year and to the control group. Test results of the control group were significantly (p<0.05) worse at the end of the school-year than their own results at beginning of the school-year, and were more significantly (p<0.01) worse than the test results of intervention group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the controlled study confirm that regular use of the preventive exercises in physical education improves the strength and flexibility of postural muscles. In order to analyze the results concerning specific muscle groups or age groups a detailed study with age- and gender-matched controls will be necessary.
authors: Egészségügyi Minisztérium, Budapest. somhegyi.a@eum.hu
authors: Annamária
authors: A
authors: Somhegyi
authors: János
authors: J
authors: Tóth
authors: Imre
authors: I
authors: Makszin
authors: Zsuzsa
authors: Z
authors: Gardi
authors: Artúrné
authors: A
authors: Feszthammer
authors: Irma
authors: I
authors: Darabosné Tim
authors: Viktória
authors: V
authors: Tóthné Steinhausz
authors: Klára
authors: K
authors: Tóthné Szabó
authors: Péter Pál
authors: PP
authors: Varga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011187:Posture; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012955:Societies, Medical