Posture in College Students : a quantitative analysis of the relationships between body alignment, physical fitness and lifestyle habits

Abstract

"The purpose of the study was to establish norms for alignment deficits and quantify how these deficits are influenced by fitness and daily habits. The method was as follows: 502 college students observed their body alignment, tested their fitness and identified lifestyle factors affecting their posture. Data was entered via cell phones into an excel sheet for analysis. This technology gave students a personal experience in evidence-based learning. The results confirmed that ideal posture is rare, only 18 students had neutral alignment. These students scored higher on fitness tests compared to students with deficits. Additionally, underweight and female participants had higher rates of deficits. The top three lifestyle factors were cell phone use, hand dominance and lack of sleep. The main conclusions are: 1. posture and fitness are codependent - students with good posture had better fitness results; 2. cell phone usage is creating a new techno-posture; 3. there are significant variations in body alignment and fitness according to gender, age and body weight."-- by Joanna Farmer