Postural habits in adolescents: the influence of a school physiotherapy program on improving the knowledge of postures.

Background School physiotherapy programs can promote an increase in health literacy promoting healthier postural habits. This study aimed to verify the effectiveness of this program in improving the theoretical-practical ergonomic knowledge about postures in adolescents and to verify the postural habits adopted. Methods The sample comprised 206 students, 109 (52.9%) being boys, aged 12-19 years old. The measurement instruments included a theoretical-practical test and a scale. The intervention program included one session lasting 90 min, using both theoretical and practical approaches. Results The mean values obtained on the theoretical-practical test before and after the 1-month period were 9.14 ± 2.51 and 13.05 ± 1.41, respectively (p ≤ 0.001). One hundred and ninety-nine (96.6%) students sat with the spine wrongly positioned, 197 (95.6%) students used mobile phones with a cervical flexion, and 165 (80.1%) lifted a heavy object from the floor incorrectly. Conclusions This data revealed that a school physiotherapy program improves ergonomic knowledge in adolescents.