How many times did you hear, \u201cSit up straight!\u201d as a child? How many times have you said this to your own child? There\u2019s\u00a0 a reason behind that famous advice: poor posture early in life may lead to a number of back problems and pain later on. That\u2019s why researchers conducted a study to better understand slouching in adolescents.<\/p>\n

Researchers had 1,5092 adolescents complete questionnaires about their lifestyle and experience with back pain. Their sitting posture,\u00a0 body mass index (BMI), and back-muscle endurance were also measured. Researchers discovered that boys were much more likely than girls to slouch. Watching TV, having a higher BMI, and having lower self-efficacy also increased a teen\u2019s likelihood of slouching.<\/p>\n

Teens who slouched also tended to have lower back-muscle endurance and non-neutral standing position. Some teens noticed their back pain increased while sitting, and those teens often had poorer scores on a child-behavior test.<\/p>\n

These findings suggest that whether or not a child slouches isn\u2019t simply about whether they remember to sit up straight. Encouraging healthy lifestyle habits and a strong self-esteem could also play a big role in helping your teen develop good posture. A doctor of chiropractic can evaluate your child\u2019s sitting and standing posture to help them avoid future back pain.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Sullivan PB, Smith AJ, Beales DJ, Straker LM. \u201cAssociation of Biopsychosocial Factors With Degree of Slump in Sitting Posture and Self-Report of Back Pain in Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study.\u201d Physical Therapy 91.4 (2011): 470-83.<\/em><\/p>\n