Comparison of Craniovertebral Angle of Students based on Gender and Field of Study Differences

Background: Since neck bears head’s weight, its abnormal position not only makes an inharmonious appearancebut also can cause musculoskeletal disorders. The aim of this study was to compare the craniovertebral (CV) angle of students based on their gender and field of study. Methods: In this descriptive study, 1017 students (511 female and 506 male students) of Tehran Universities in different academic fields (Humanities, Basic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine) were investigated. After recording age, weight and height of students, their CV angle was measured using Head Posture Spinal Curvature Instrument (HPSCI) and recorded in the data collection form. Based on the gender and field of study of students, CV angles were compared using two-way ANOVA and data were analyzed through SPSS18. Statistical significant level was considered at P=0.05. Results: Mean CV angle of female students was higher than that of males in all academic fields. The highest degree of CV angle was observed in the male engineering students (46.85°), and female medical students (48.65°) and the lowest was seen in the male basic sciences students (47.41°) and female humanities students (50.54°). According to the obtained results, CV angle has significant relationship with both gender and field of study (P=0.001). Conclusion: Since no norm has been determined for the mean CV angle of the students at this age range, therefore, the degree of forward head posture of them cannot be definitely described. However, due to the growing tendency among studentsto pursue study, it is essential to inform themabout the correct body posture to prevent subsequent musculoskeletal disorders.