Article

Among a wide range of negative consequences stemming from excess mass in
children, recent studies suggest an impairment of postural control, including
basic capabilities such as static and dynamic balance. Such impairment may be
compounded when additional tasks are performed, such as carrying localized loads
as occurs among children using a backpack. To investigate this, postural control
was measured among 77 overweight and obese children (6-11 years old), and an
equal number of normal-weight children matched for gender, age, and height.
Testing was conducted at school, in which center of pressure (COP) time series
during quiet standing were obtained in the presence and absence of each student's
backpack. A traditional postural control measure derived from COP (mean velocity)
did not indicate significant differences between overweight and normal-weight
children, regardless of backpack presence. In contrast, a complexity index
(derived from multiscale entropy) suggested the existence of different postural
strategies and reduced balance capabilities among overweight children, whose
consequences need to be further clarified.
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Langue : ANGLAIS