Affiliations: School of Physiotherapy, Curtin University of
Technology, Perth, Western Australia | School of Occupational Therapy, Curtin University of
Technology, Perth, Western Australia
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Professor Leon Straker, School of
Physiotherapy, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845,
Australia. Tel.: +61 8 9266 3634; Fax: +61 8 9266 3699; E-mail:
L.Straker@curtin.edu.au
Abstract: Children commonly report musculoskeletal discomfort related to
different activities such as computer use, playing electronic games, watching
TV, reading, and performing physical and hand intensive activities. Discomfort
can result in disability and is a strong predictor of future discomfort in
adulthood. Adult beliefs regarding discomfort can affect the level of
disability and are modifiable. Children's beliefs regarding discomfort could
potentially be modified to minimise disability related to musculoskeletal
disorders. The aim of this study was to describe children's beliefs about why
they experience musculoskeletal discomfort, both in general and related to
specific activities. Eighty eight school children completed questionnaires on
frequency and usual duration of nine activities, whether they had felt
discomfort and what they believed was the cause of any discomfort in relation
to those activities. The most common activity was TV watching, and most
activities were performed for 1 hour or shorter. Bad posture and doing too much
of a certain activity were the most common beliefs regarding reasons for
discomfort. This study shows that children are developing beliefs that tend to
reflect scientific knowledge about risk factors. These beliefs could be
incorporated into preventative health interventions.
Keywords: Young people, beliefs, musculoskeletal discomfort
