Jacob P.1, Mtavangu G.2,3, Mkoba E.2,3, Swai E.2,3
1Bugando Medical Centre, Physiotherapy, Mwanza, Tanzania, 2School of Physiotherapy - Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Training, Moshi, Tanzania, 3Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Physiotherapy, Moshi, Tanzania
Background: Forward bending/flexion of the spine is an essential movement in a day to day life of a human being. Mobility at pelvic girdle and hamstring muscle play a great role in spine forward flexion. Sex, ethnicity, patho-mechanics and body stature may influence this flexibility positively or negatively.
Purpose: The study was conducted to assess the spine forward bending flexibility in healthy college students particularly analysing the differences between male and female.
Methods: Analytical cross sectional study was conducted from March to April 2015. A total of 130 healthy subjects (71 males and 59 females) were recruited in the study. Spine forward bending flexibility was measured by using modified finger to floor test (MFFT), Schober test was used to assess the spine mobility and active knee extension test was used to estimate the length of hamstring muscles. Median differences with the corresponding measure of disparity was used to analyse the differences in flexibility between male and female. In addition, Pearson correlation was used to assess the correlation between spine forward bending flexibility, spine mobility, hamstring flexibility, sex, age and BMI.
Results: According to MFFT median difference in spine forward bending flexibility between male and female were 13 cm suggesting that, females were significantly (p 0.001) flexible than males. In regard to correlation with spine forward bending flexibility, height showed a moderate negative correlation (r= - 0.4, p 0.001); BMI showed a weak positive correlation (r= 0.2, p= 0.02) and hamstring length showed a moderate positive correlation (r= 0.4, p 0.001). Spine mobility, age and weight did not show any correlation with spine forward bending flexibility.
Conclusion(s): Spine forward bending flexibility is considered different between male and female healthy college students at a medical University in Northern Zone Tanzania. Moreover, BMI and hamstring muscles length were correlated with spine forward bending flexibility.
Implications: With this knowledge clinician can incorporate the difference in spine forward flexion during assessment and treatment of spine problems accordingly. Bio-mechanical knowledge from this study can be used in further studies about spine kinematic within and across the context.
Funding acknowledgements: Higher Education Students Loan Board, Tanzania.
Topic: Human movement analysis
Ethics approval: This study was approved by the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, Physiotherapy Research Ethical Committee (TU/KCMUCO/BSc. PT/2014/15.0014).
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
