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Á. Mayer1, F.É. Wiesner1, T. Törtei1, A. Thaly1, S. Zsombok1, M. Horváth1
1Semmelweis University Faculty of Health Sciences, Physiotherapy Department, Budapest, Hungary
Background: In the physiotherapist profession treatment and movement are closely related. During the course, we can acquire a lot of theoretical and practical knowledge, i.e. anatomy, functional analysis and examination of the musculoskeletal system, body awareness gymnastics.
Purpose: Our aim was to demonstrate the effect of physiotherapy training on posture, body awareness and body image.
Methods: The shape and position of the spine in standing position were determined using the Zebris CMS-10 ultrasound-based biomechanical measuring instrument, and some characteristics of gait and balance were determined with the Zebris FDM-T system. Using the Body Focus Questionnaire, we characterized the level of awareness of each body part and obtained information about the body image with the Tennessee Questionnaire. Our subjects belonged to 4 groups: first year (N = 39) and fourth year (N = 33) physiotherapist students from Semmelweis University, and as control persons, first year (N = 57) and fourth year (N = 38) students studying in non-movement science in higher education. Statistica for Window was used for data analysis. After normality analysis, analysis of variance was performed and then each group was compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Significant difference was accepted at p <0.05.
Results: The physical activity of physiotherapist students did not change from the first year (2,56±0,99 times/week) to the fourth (2,36±1,11 times/week), while in the control groups this value was found to be significantly lower among the fourth (1,58±1,39 times/week) than in the first year (2,18±1,24 times/week). The gait of the physiotherapist students was more symmetrical, on the base of the COP inclination (physiotherapist students - first year: 2,29±2,23 mm; fourth year: 2,13±2,09 mm; control groups – first year: 2,68±2,02 mm; fourth year: 3,51±4,68 mm), and the thoracic spine kyphosis (first year: 33,68 ± 13,54°; fourth year: 33,58 ± 11,68°) was smaller than in the control groups (first year: 38,07 ± 12,14°; fourth year: 38,39 ± 10,59°). In the fourth year control group, the total trunk inclination (3,50±2,33°) was significantly higher than in the first-year control (2,43±1,71°) and physiotherapy students (first year: 2,34±2,14°; fourth year: 2,52±2,17°) groups. The Tennessee body image score did not differ between the groups (physiotherapist students - first year: 67 (67) point; fourth year: 69 (68) point; control groups – first year: 86 (62) point; fourth year: 66 (70) point). The overall self-image of the physiotherapist groups (first year: 358,72±29,77 point; fourth year: 358,67±34,98 point) was better than that of the control groups (first year: 348,00±38,36 point; fourth year: 349,87±35,09 point), and we also found differences in the values of the family self-image (physiotherapist students - first year: 80 (83) point; fourth year: 76 (76) point; control groups – first year: 75 (75) point; fourth year: 78 (84) point).
Conclusion(s): Our results support our hypothesis that during physiotherapy training, increased engagement with exercise helps maintain proper posture and harmonious movement.
Implications: Attention should be paid to maintaining adequate physical activity among students studying in non-movement sciences in higher education.
Funding, acknowledgements: The research was carried out with the support of the New National Program of Excellence of Hungary (ÚNKP-18-1-I).
Keywords: physiotherapy students, body posture, body image
Topic: Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
Did this work require ethics approval? No
Institution: Semmelweis University
Committee: Semmelweis University
Reason: This study is lawfully complied, performed on healthy students (not on patients), and used non-invasive measurements.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
