Postural Education Program for Indigenous Children in School: Case Study

ABSTRACT: To investigate whether a Postural Education Program (PEP) is capable of promoting changes in body knowledge and self-perception of posture among indigenous school-aged children. The study included 9 indigenous children with a mean age of 8 years, of whom 7 completed both the initial and final evaluations. The PEP consisted of four sessions, each lasting approximately two hours, which included an initial assessment, theoretical-practical classes on postural education, and a final assessment. Responses to the Self-bodpos questionnaire, collected at the beginning and end of the sessions, were tabulated using SPSS 22.0 and analyzed through descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon test, with the significance level set at α ≤ 0.05. Verbal information collected from the focus group was analyzed using content analysis techniques. Among the 7 participants who completed both evaluations, 4 showed statistically significant differences in four of the seven items assessed by the Self-bodpos. In addition, positive outcomes were observed in the theoretical knowledge questionnaire and in the focus group discussions. The PEP was effective in promoting changes in body knowledge and self-perception of posture among indigenous school-aged children.