Comparison of Physiotherapy and Engineering Students in Terms of Posture and Body Awareness

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to compare Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation (PTR) students, who received education on posture, body awareness, and exercise, with Engineering students, who did not receive such education, in terms of posture and body awareness. Materials and Methods: The study involved 30 PTR students (10 females, 20 males; age: 21.73±1.08 years; Body Mass Index (BMI): 22.73±2.86 kg/m²) and 30 Engineering students (8 females, 22 males; age: 21.67±1.56 years; BMI: 24.36±3.58 kg/m²). Postural assessments were conducted using photographic measurements, which recorded the sagittal head angle (SHA), sagittal shoulder angle (SSA), and craniovertebral angle (CVA). Body awareness was evaluated using the Body Awareness Questionnaire (BAQ). Results: There was a significant difference in BMI between the PTR and Engineering students (p=0.022), but no significant differences were observed in age, weight, or height (p>0.05). No significant differences were found in the SHA, SSA, or CVA between the two groups (p>0.05). However, the postural angles of the PTR students were closer to normative values. Additionally, PTR students exhibited significantly higher BAQ scores than Engineering students (p=0.005), indicating better body awareness. Conclusion: Although no significant differences were observed in postural angles, the posture of PTR students was closer to normative values, and their body awareness was significantly higher than that of Engineering students. These findings suggest that PTR education, which emphasizes posture and body awareness, may be an effective preventive strategy for improving individual and public health. Expanding such educational interventions to other disciplines could yield widespread benefits.

Keywords

• Posture
• photographic measurement
• body awareness
• physiotherapy and rehabilitation
• engineering.

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