Background Frequent smartphone use in a pathological way forces the user to adopt a compromised posture. This gradually results in changes to both the postural and musculoskeletal systems. This study’s objectives were evaluation of head posture, muscle endurance, neck range of motion (ROM) and joint position sense in two separate smartphone user groups, one ‘Addicted’, the other ‘Non-Addicted’. Methods A sample of convenience (n = 60) was recruited from medical students (age 24.57 ± 4.38, 53.3% male) with a history of smartphones use > 2 h/day for 1-year. Based on the cut-off values of the smartphone addiction scale-short version (SAS-SV), participants were entered into each group (cut-off for male ≥ 31, female ≥ 33). Neck muscle endurance time, joint position error and cervical ROM, along with forward head posture parameters of craniovertebral angle (CVA), shoulder angle (SA), sagittal head angle (SHA) and forward head distance (FHD)) were evaluated. A Mann–Whitney test and Spearman correlation coefficient were used to determine the difference between groups and the correlations between variables. Results The difference between ‘Addicted’ and ‘Non-Addicted’ groups was confirmed by the values for SAS-SV scores (25.23 ± 5.5 versus 43.9 ± 6.61) (p < 0.001). There were statistically significant differences between groups for the CVA and FHD parameters (p < 0.001). Further, the neck extensor muscle endurance (97 ± 3.79 versus 74.86 ± 2.23 s), was significantly different between groups (p = 0.010) but not after Bonferroni correction. There was no notable difference in the neck flexor muscle endurance, joint position error, SA, and SHA parameters between groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions There is a positive correlation between smartphone addiction and both decreased extensor muscle endurance and changes in neck postural alignment.
Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a non-progressive complication of the developing brain that leads to movement problems and occupational performance limitations in the activities of daily living of children with CP. Therefore, getting a sense conception of the children, parents, and occupational therapists’ occupational performance priority to providing client-centered services in performing the activities of daily living of children with CP is extremely important. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the priorities of occupational performance from the perspective of children with CP, parents, and occupational therapists and compare their priorities with each other. Methods: This descriptive-analytical comparative study was conducted in Isfahan in 2021. The research population included 115 CP children aged 6 - 12 years, their parents, and occupational therapists in the occupational therapy department of rehabilitation clinics, rehabilitation centers, and occupational therapy department of hospitals in Isfahan city. Occupational performance priorities of children with CP, their parents, and occupational therapists were assessed through the valid and reliable Canadian occupational performance measurement (COPM). Results: In this research, 115 children with CP, their parents, and occupational therapists participated. Comparison of occupational performance priorities of children with CP from the perspective of children, parents, and occupational therapists showed that the most important occupational performance priority of children with CP from the perspective of these three groups is the same and related to self-care activities and includes activities, such as walking, going up and down the stairs, toileting, and going to the bathroom (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Children with CP, their parents, and occupational therapists reported occupational performance priorities in similar performance dimensions in the age groups of 6 to 12 years for children with CP, which are mainly focused on self-care activities. The attention of occupational therapists to the priorities of children and parents can increase their participation in the rehabilitation process of these children.
Background: Frequent smartphone use in a pathological way forces the user to adopt a compromised posture. This gradually results in changes to both the postural and musculoskeletal systems. This study’s objectives were evaluation of head posture, muscle endurance, neck range of motion (ROM) and joint position sense in two separate smartphone user groups, one ‘Addicted’, the other ‘Non-Addicted’. Methods: A sample of convenience (n=60) were recruited from medical students (age 24.57±4.38, 53.3 % male) with a history of smartphones use >2 hours/day for 1-year. Based on the cut-off values of the smartphone addiction scale-short version (SAS-SV, male=31, female=33), participants were entered into each group. Neck muscle endurance time, joint position error and cervical ROM, along with forward head posture parameters of craniovertebral angle (CVA), shoulder angle (SA), sagittal head angle (SHA) and forward head distance (FHD)) were evaluated. A Mann-Whitney test and Spearman correlation coefficient were used to determine the difference between groups and the correlations between variables.Results: The difference between 'Addicted’ and ‘Non-Addicted’ groups was confirmed by the values for SAS-SV scores (25.23±5.5 versus 43.9±6.61) (p<0.001). There were statistically significant differences between groups for neck extensor muscle endurance (97±3.79 versus 74.86±2.23), (p=0.01) and between CVA and FHD parameters (p<0.001). There was no notable difference in the neck flexor muscle endurance, joint position error, SA, and SHA parameters between groups (p>0.05).Conclusions: The positive correlation between smartphone addiction and both decreased extensor muscle endurance and changes in neck postural alignment is concerning.
Objective: Specific learning disorder is a type of neurodevelopmental disorder, in which children with disabilities have difficulty understanding, or using spoken and written language. The disorder diagnoses when children have significant reading, writing, and math skills lower than expected. One of the characteristics of children with a learning disorder is the presence of anxiety symptoms, which are often chronic, and failure to address them can negatively affect the child's growth and academic performance. Assertiveness training is a structured intervention that uses to reduce the symptoms of anxiety. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of assertiveness training on anxiety symptoms of male school-age children with special learning disorders in Tehran City, Iran. Materials and Methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental research in which a pre-test in addition post-test design with a control group used along with a five weeks follow-up. The population included 8-11 year-old male children who were studying in the Learning Disorders Centers in Tehran City in the school year 2019-2020. The sample consisted of 130 male school-age children who were in convenient selected from the five educational districts (2, 13, 12, 18, and 15). At first, the Colored Progressive Matrices (CPM) assessed all subjects and 72 children who got a normal intelligence quotient (≥85) completed the Child Spence Anxiety Scale (SCAS-C). The studied sample was selected according to the formula for the determining the sample size and the probability of its drop-out (34 people). After scoring the SCAS-C, 45 children received a moderate anxiety (44-88 points). Thirty-four students (19, 10, and 5, respectively with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia) were randomly selected among them and matched based on their age, school grade and socio-economic status. They randomly assigned to the experimental and control group with mean and standard deviation of age 10.45±2.25 and 8.87±1.89 respectively. The experimental group divided into three subgroups (six people in two groups and five people in one) due to the efficacy of training in small groups and participated in 10 assertiveness training sessions (twice a week and 90 minutes for per session) while the control group received only the mainstream programs in the Learning Disorder Center. All subjects assessed by the SCAS-C at the end of the training sessions and five weeks follow-up. The obtained data from pre-test and post-test situations analyzed by using univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance. In addition, the data were analysed by the analysis of variance with repeated measure to determine the stability of the assertiveness training after the five weeks follow-up Results: The results of univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance showed that there was a significant difference between the mean scores of anxiety symptoms and its components in the experimental and control groups before and after the assertiveness training sessions (p<0.01). The results based on the eta quotient show that the values of 66%, 66%, 32%, 63%, 63%, 71%, and 73% respectively of the variance of total anxiety symptoms, generalized anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, personal injury fears, social phobia, separation anxiety and panic disorder/agoraphobia in students with special learning disorder can be explained by participation in assertiveness training intervention. The results of analysis of variance with repeated measure showed that the effect of assertiveness training has only lasted on reduction of generalized anxiety, personal injury fears, anxiety phobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder after five weeks follow-up. However, the effectiveness of the intervention program not found for the total anxiety symptoms, separation anxiety and panic/agoraphobia after follow-up study. Conclusion: The results indicate that the assertiveness training can reduce the symptoms of anxiety and its components in school-age male children with specific learning disorder. Therefore, we conclude that the design and implementation of similar training programs help students to strive to establish interpersonal relationships, reduce the frustration of academic failure, express their feelings, think of possible ways to deal with anxious situations, manage their negative behaviour, and be prepared to accept multiple roles in adulthood. Thus, by providing assertiveness training, maladaptive behaviors and mental health problems (especially anxiety symptoms) can be preventive in students with special learning disorder in addition to prevent ongoing problems in the fields of education and occupation.
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