A current topic in the field of geriatrics still needing a great deal of study is the changes in body posture occurring with age. Symptoms of these changes can be observed starting between the ages of 40–50 years with a slow progression that increases after 60 years of age. The aims of this study were to evaluate parameters characterizing the posture of women over the age of 60 years compared with a control group and to determine the dynamics of body posture changes in the following decades.

Introduction. Excessive body mass in turn may contribute to the development of many health disorders including disorders of musculoskeletal system, which still develops intensively at that time.Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between children’s body mass composition and body posture. The relationship between physical activity level of children and the parameters characterizing their posture was also evaluated.Material and Methods. 120 school age children between 11 and 13 years were enrolled in the study, including 61 girls and 59 boys. Each study participant had the posture evaluated with the photogrammetric method using the projection moiré phenomenon. Moreover, body mass composition and the level of physical activity were evaluated.Results. Children with the lowest content of muscle tissue showed the highest difference in the height of the inferior angles of the scapulas in the coronal plane. Children with excessive body fat had less slope of the thoracic-lumbar spine, greater difference in the depth of the inferior angles of the scapula, and greater angle of the shoulder line. The individuals with higher level of physical activity have a smaller angle of body inclination.Conclusion. The content of muscle tissue, adipose tissue, and physical activity level determines the variability of the parameter characterizing the body posture.

Objective The lack of a widely accepted questionnaire used to assess the physical activity (PA) of adolescents in the Polish language creates a need to introduce such a valid, reliable, inexpensive and quick tool for assessment. This study was designed to culturally adapt and validate the Physical Activity Questionnaires for Adolescents (PAQ-A) in the Polish language. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants and outcome measures Cultural adaptation of the Polish version of the PAQ-A was performed following the standardised questionnaires cultural adaptation process. In a sample of 78 adolescents aged 14–19 years, the PAQ-A test–retest was administered within a 1-week interval. Reliability was analysed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and internal consistency with Cronbach’s α. Participants completed the PAQ-A, and wore an accelerometer for 7 consecutive days. The PAQ-A was compared with PA parameters obtained using the accelerometer. Results Test–retest reliability showed ICC=0.97 for the total score of PAQ-A. Internal consistency was excellent (α=0.93). The PAQ-A was very strongly correlated with steps per day (r=0.94) and with moderate-to-vigorous PA (r=0.81) assessed by the accelerometer. Conclusions The Polish version of the PAQ-A is a valuable tool to estimate general levels of PA among adolescents from 14 to 19 years old.

The purpose of the study was to investigate correlations between parameters of anteroposterior spinal curvatures in the sagittal plane, measured with the use of photogrammetric technique and inclinometer in healthy elderly women.

Introduction. Children and adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) have significantly lower levels of physical activity compared to their peers without ID. Association between the level of physical activity and screen time with hypertension (HPT) in children and adolescents with ID has not been reported yet. Aim. To assess the relationship between the level of physical activity and screen time with the prevalence of HPT in students with ID. Material and Methods. The study group consisted of 568 children with ID aged 7 to 18. The control group matched for age and gender consisted of 568 students without ID. Blood pressure (BP), body mass and height, level of physical activity, and screen time were assessed. Results. The level of physical activity in the study group was significantly lower than in the control group (score 1.99 versus 3.02, resp., in Physical Activity Questionnaire). The risk of HPT in the students with ID with low levels of physical activity was more than 4 times higher (OR = 4.40) and more than 2 times higher when screen time was ≥2 h/day. Conclusion. Low level of physical activity and long screen time were associated with significantly higher HPT risk among children and adolescents with ID.