Purpose The most relevant musculoskeletal problems are related with back health. Study instruments have been designed for adult patient population but not for school-aged children. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a questionnaire to assess adolescents’ level of back care knowledge in daily life physical activities. Methods Participants were 171 adolescents from secondary schools. The questionnaire was made up of 24 questions. A Delphi method was used for test validation. Cronbach’s alpha, test–retest, Wilcoxon signed-rank and Bland–Altman graph were used to evaluate the instrument reliability. Results Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.82) showed a strong internal consistency. Test–retest was excellent for total score (0.76) and moderate to excellent (0.54–0.76) for seven score conceptual categories with good results of standard error of the mean and minimal detectable change. No differences were found between test 1 and test 2 except for the standing posture scores. Conclusion The questionnaire showed acceptable psychometric values. Results showed that this questionnaire is a good instrument to assess adolescent’s back care knowledge.

School-based interventions have reported effectiveness on back health; however, there are no specific guidelines for teaching body mechanics and posture in primary and secondary schools. To identify, describe, and analyze the educative features of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on back health developed to date in the school setting, a systematic review was performed following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. RCTs exclusively focused on educational setting electronic databases included PubMed, EMBASE, PEDro, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, ERIC, and MEDLINE on the Ovid platform. Databases were searched for potentially eligible studies from the earliest date up to 18th March 2020. A total of 584 records were obtained from the database searches. A total of six articles that applied inclusion criteria were assessed for eligibility. All of these studies found improvements in postural habits and the level of knowledge with regard to back health, as well as a reduction in the prevalence of back pain. None of the studies used the student-centered method, and three studies used evaluation instruments with a pilot validation. Research on RCT interventions concerning back health in the school setting is scarce. None of the interventions applied a constructivist or student-centered method. The use of validated and standardized assessment instruments is required.

It is well-known that low back pain (LBP) prevalence is high among school-age children. However, literature concerning the initial onset of back pain between the ages of three and eleven years is scarce. The present study aims to analyze the prevalence of LBP in kindergarten and primary school students. A total of 278 (9.9 ± 2.1 years old; 52.2% girls) students from two public kindergartens and primary schools in Valencia (Spain) participated in this cross-sectional study. The Nordic questionnaire on LBP was used to assess the onset and duration of LBP symptoms. The lifetime prevalence of LBP was 47.5% (n = 132), the last year’s prevalence was 44.2% (n = 123), and last week’s prevalence was 18.8% (n = 50). Boys and girls reported a lifetime prevalence of 52.3% (n = 64) and 47.7% (n = 63) (p = 0.186, Fisher’s exact test, 2-sided), respectively. By age group, lifetime episodes of LBP became more prevalent with increasing age (p < 0.001, Fisher’s exact test, 2-sided). In summary, our findings show that LBP increases with age and further strengthens the evidence that LBP onset could start as young as 10 years of age.

This review aimed to assess the effectiveness of interventions used to minimize barriers to participation in physical activity (PA) among adolescents. This systematic literature review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines. Searches were conducted across five databases: PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science. Thirty-four studies evaluated interventions to overcome barriers to participation in PA, with a focus on lack of motivation, encouragement, and support, as well as intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental barriers. Most interventions were conducted in developed countries, with an emphasis on girls, reflecting efforts to address health inequities. The interventions, conducted in schools, included workshops, training programs, lectures, goal setting, and practical activities, lasting from four weeks to four years. Twenty-seven studies (79.4%) reported positive impacts on PA participation, particularly in interventions addressing psychosocial, psychological, and behavioral barriers. The most effective interventions combined theory (through educational approaches) and practice (practical PA activities). These findings contribute to understanding barriers leading to physical inactivity and provide insights for developing or replicating initiatives to improve PA levels among adolescents.