ASSESSMENT OF ANTIGRAVITY AND POSTURAL CONTROL IN HEALTHY CHILDREN IN IBADAN, NIGERIA

Objective: This study determined the relationship between antigravity and postural control in apparently healthy children. Methodology: Two hundred and fifty subjects (125 males and 125 females), aged 4-12 years participated in the study. The participants were divided into 9 groups based on their chronological age with a minimum of 10 males and 10 females in each group. A non-probability sample of convenience was used to choose schools in Ibadan North Municipality and simple random sampling method was used to recruit participants from the schools. Antigravity and postural indices were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. Analysis of data was performed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics of Pearson product moment correlation co-efficient (r), independent t-test and ANOVA and the level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: A relationship between antigravity and postural control in healthy children was established at six years of age. Antigravity control was more related to static balance than dynamic balance in late childhood while supine flexion rather than prone extension was more related to quality of postural control in late childhood. There was no significant gender difference in antigravity control, however there were significant (P 0.05) difference was observed in each of prone extension quality, supine flexion quality and supine flexion quantity in late childhood (7-12 years of age) and no significant difference was observed in prone extension quantity amongst children 5-12 years of age. In postural control, no significant age differences were observed in each of quality of static and dynamic balance amongst children aged 6-12 years. Quantity of static balance right did not differ significantly amongst children aged 10-12 years, also quantity of static balance left did not differ significantly in children aged 8-12 years. Conclusion: A relationship between antigravity and postural control is established at six years of age and that antigravity control is more related to static balance than to dynamic balance and supine flexion rather than prone extension posture is more related to quality of postural control.