Influence of sedentary behaviour on posture symmetry and type among 4–7-year-old children in Riga

Abstract

Physical inactivity, screen time and sedentary behaviour among young chil-dren is increasing. These factors have an impact on future health condi-tions increasing the risk of metabolic, cardiovascular and posture diseases. The World Health Organization has issued the guidelines on physical activ-ity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children of less than 5 years of age that shows contributing factors for healthy individuals starting from early child-hood. Only few studies show the true state of posture diseases among preschool children. In our study we tried to find the problems of posture symmetry and type among young children for first time in Latvia. The conclusions after the study were similar to tendencies in the world. The posture disorders and asymmetrical posture increased with the age of children and sedentary behaviour (TV and computer) had a negative impact on the posture status.