Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Türkiye Diyabet ve Obezite Dergisi , cilt.5, sa.2, ss.173-179, 2021 (Hakemli Dergi)
Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the effects of body mass index above normal limits on forward head posture and deep cervical flexor muscle endurance, which are considered to be predisposing factors of mechanical neck pain. Material and Methods: Twenty-four individuals (mean age of 20.50 ± 2.02 years) with a body mass index (BMI) between 19.9 kg /m2 and 24.9 kg /m2were included in the Normal Body Mass Index (N-BMI group) and 24 individuals with a BMI over 24.9 kg /m2(mean age of 24.41 ± 2.90 years) were included in the Owerweight-Obese (OW-O group). All individuals were recruited from those who scored 0-4 points from Neck Disability Index (NDI) indicating that there was no disability. Cranicervical Angles (CCA) of individuals was measured digitally to determine forward head posture. Deep Cervical Flexor Muscle Endurance Test (DCFMET) was used for endurance of deep cervical flexor muscles. Results: The CCA values of the OW-O group were less than in the N-BMI group, indicating an increased forward head posture (p = 0.043). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of the endurance of the deep cervical flexor muscles between the groups (p = 0.817). A moderate negative correlation was found between the BMI values and CCA of all individuals participating in the study (p = 0.012, r= -0.503). There was no correlation between BMI and DCFMET (p=0.887, r = 0.316). A robust regression model revealed that increased BMI was significantly associated with greater CCA (ß = -0.554, p <0.001). Conclusion: Knowing that overweight and obese young people are in the risk group for mechanical neck pain and various cervical pathologies, plays a very important role in increasing awareness about preventive approaches such as postural correction exercises and weight management strategies.