{"title":"The consequence of head-loading on the neuro-musculoskeletal health of the ILembe District youth of KwaZulu-Natal.","authors":"Tebogo G Motaung, Terry J Ellapen, Yvonne Paul","doi":"10.4102/ajod.v11i0.1039","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Head-loading, as a mode of transporting food, water and firewood, is a longstanding tradition assigned to female South African youth and has been associated with adverse health consequences.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study determined the impact of head-loading on the neuromusculoskeletal health and proprioception of female South African youth.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This study comprised a counterbalanced, within-subject, single-factor experimental design which compared the changes that occurred when the same independent variable (head-loading) within two homogenous groups was measured in terms of the dependent variables (outcomes: neuromusculoskeletal pain and proprioception) at two time periods, before and after the introduction of the independent variable. A cohort of South African female youth (<i>n</i> = 100), aged 9-17 years, voluntarily partook in the study. The participants were randomly distributed into an experimental (<i>n</i> = 50) and a control (<i>n</i> = 50) group. The experimental group stood in a head-loaded state with their respective habitual head-load mass. Their proprioception measurements were compared during their unloaded versus loaded states, with the proprioceptive measurements including the total proprioception index, the anterior-posterior (front-back) index and the medial-lateral (side-to-side) index. Participants furthermore completed a head-loading health-related questionnaire.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants had a mean age of 12.3 ± 2.5 years, body mass of 44.4 ± 13.7 kg, stature of 145 ± 10 cm and a head-load mass of 8.0 ± 2.5 kg. Participants had poorer medial-lateral proprioception during head-loading as compared to their unloaded state (1.4 ± 0.8 as compared to 1.6 ± 0.9) (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Most youth (96%) experienced neuromusculoskeletal pain in their cervical vertebrae (40.9%), shoulders (27.3%), lumbar vertebrae (10.7%), arms (8.3%), legs (8.3%), knees (1.9%), fingers (1.5%), toes (0.5%) and thoracic vertebrae (0.5%) (χ<sup>2</sup>: <i>p</i> < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Head-loading adversely affects the medial-lateral proprioception and neuromusculoskeletal health of participants.</p><p><strong>Contribution: </strong>The findings of this study confirms that head-loading produces musculoskeletal pain.</p>","PeriodicalId":45606,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Disability","volume":"11 ","pages":"1039"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3000,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9772769/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"African Journal of Disability","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.4102/ajod.v11i0.1039","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Head-loading, as a mode of transporting food, water and firewood, is a longstanding tradition assigned to female South African youth and has been associated with adverse health consequences.
Objectives: This study determined the impact of head-loading on the neuromusculoskeletal health and proprioception of female South African youth.
Method: This study comprised a counterbalanced, within-subject, single-factor experimental design which compared the changes that occurred when the same independent variable (head-loading) within two homogenous groups was measured in terms of the dependent variables (outcomes: neuromusculoskeletal pain and proprioception) at two time periods, before and after the introduction of the independent variable. A cohort of South African female youth (n = 100), aged 9-17 years, voluntarily partook in the study. The participants were randomly distributed into an experimental (n = 50) and a control (n = 50) group. The experimental group stood in a head-loaded state with their respective habitual head-load mass. Their proprioception measurements were compared during their unloaded versus loaded states, with the proprioceptive measurements including the total proprioception index, the anterior-posterior (front-back) index and the medial-lateral (side-to-side) index. Participants furthermore completed a head-loading health-related questionnaire.
Results: Participants had a mean age of 12.3 ± 2.5 years, body mass of 44.4 ± 13.7 kg, stature of 145 ± 10 cm and a head-load mass of 8.0 ± 2.5 kg. Participants had poorer medial-lateral proprioception during head-loading as compared to their unloaded state (1.4 ± 0.8 as compared to 1.6 ± 0.9) (p < 0.05). Most youth (96%) experienced neuromusculoskeletal pain in their cervical vertebrae (40.9%), shoulders (27.3%), lumbar vertebrae (10.7%), arms (8.3%), legs (8.3%), knees (1.9%), fingers (1.5%), toes (0.5%) and thoracic vertebrae (0.5%) (χ2: p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Head-loading adversely affects the medial-lateral proprioception and neuromusculoskeletal health of participants.
Contribution: The findings of this study confirms that head-loading produces musculoskeletal pain.
期刊介绍:
The African Journal of Disability, the official journal of CRS, AfriNEAD and CEDRES, introduce and discuss issues and experiences relating to and supporting the act of better understanding the interfaces between disability, poverty and practices of exclusion and marginalisation. Its articles yield new insight into established human development practices, evaluate new educational techniques and disability research, examine current cultural and social discrimination, and bring serious critical analysis to bear on problems shared across the African continent. Emphasis is on all aspects of disability particularity in the developing African context. This includes, amongst others: -disability studies as an emerging field of public health enquiry -rehabilitation, including vocational and community-based rehabilitation -community development and medical issues related to disability and poverty -disability-related stigma and discrimination -inclusive education -legal, policy, human rights and advocacy issues related to disability -the role of arts and media in relation to disability -disability as part of global Sustainable Development Goals transformation agendas -disability and postcolonial issues -globalisation and cultural change in relation to disability -environmental and climate-related issues linked to disability -disability, diversity and intersections of identity -disability and the promotion of human development.