EN
Introduction: The study is 10 years’ observation of anterior-posterior spinal curvatures in the same group of children and youths.The first objective is to show rules and regularities in changes of posture in boys and girls in the period of their lives under the observation. The other objective is to put forward a suggested procedure for posture assessment based on the presented measurement method of the angle of lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis using a simple protractor, where the obtained angle values were to be used as qualification of faulty posture. Material and methods: A group of 100 children and youths aged 4-16 years, including 58 girls and 42 boys, examined initially in 1997 and then re-examined after 10 years, that is in 2007 (at the age of 14-26), made up the test material. Results: In Examination II, the incidence of a round back in girls in all age groups decreased while in boys it increased. The changes were statistically significant. Conclusions: Over the 10 years’ period in the children and youths that constituted the test material different changes in postures were found in the male group and in the female group. In girls after the puberty period, transitions in posture towards decreasing thoracic kyphosis and increasing lumbar lordosis were found, while in boys, posture changes in the opposite direction, i.e. increasing thoracic kyphosis and decreasing lumbar lordosis, were observed. Child’s body posture assessment carried out with the use of simple measurement instruments following the examination method suggested in this paper i.e. measuring thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis angle values appears to be a reliable method of body posture qualification in screening tests and monitoring results of faulty posture treatment