| dc.description.abstract | Due to the fact of spending high seated time of undergraduates, there will be an increasing
obesity risk and low health related quality of life. The objective of the current study was to
assess the effect of hamstring flexibility on spinal mobility and health related quality of life
(HRQOL) among obese female undergraduates of Faculty of Allied Health Sciences (FAHS)
in Kotelawala Defence University (KDU). A descriptive cross sectional case-controlled
study was conducted with 100 female participants (50 obese and 50 normal Body Mass
Index (BMI)) aged between 18-40 years at FAHS, KDU. Hamstring flexibility, lumbar spinal
flexion, both lumbar spinal extension and lateral flexion, HRQOL were measured by
sit and reach test, Schober’s test (tape measurements), standard goniometer and SF-36
questionnaire respectively. Prevalence of obesity was 18.3%. The mean BMI (kgm2) of
the case was (27.9 2.9) and control groups was (21.0 1.4). Mean age (years) of case
and control groups were (23.5 4.2) and (23.3 3.5) respectively. Spinal mobility and
hamstring flexibility did not show any significant difference between two groups (p>0.05).
Hamstring muscle flexibility did not show any significant difference between two groups
(p=0.42) and it was associated with right lumbar lateral flexion in the obese BMI group
(p=0.04, r=0.03) and both left (p<0.05, r=0.43) and right (p < 0.05, r=0.41) lateral flexion
in normal BMI group. Obese BMI group showed a significant association only for the SF
4 (p=0.02) and SF 8 (p=0.01) questions. The lumbar spinal mobility did not differ in the
obese group compared to the normal BMI group. In both groups, lateral flexion has shown
an association with hamstring flexibility. In the obese group, hamstring flexibility showed
a significant (p<0.05), yet weak positive (r < 0.4), association with left side lumbar lateral
flexion. | en_US |
