Author and graduation date: Jolene E. BAKER, July, 2002

Committee members: Robert Moore (Chair), Peter Aufsesser, Gene Lamke

Thesis title: A Posture and Flexibility Analysis of Female Water Polo Players

The present study evaluated posture and flexibility characteristics of female water polo players using an experimental and a control group. The experimental group consisted of 23 collegiate female water polo players and the control group consisted of 23 non-water polo players ages 18 to 25. None of the participants had a history of severe lumbar, thoracic, or cervical spine injuries within the last year, or a history of major muscle strain or tear in the musculature tested for flexibility. Twelve different measurement tests were used that included height, weight, body composition (skinfold caliper method), flexibility testing for hamstring, hip flexor, pectoralis major and pectoralis minor musculature, abdominal strength measurement, lumbar flexion range of motion, and postural measurements for lumbar lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, and spinal scoliosis.

Reliability was calculated for each measurement with multiple trials. To determine the differences in the posture and flexibility measurements of the two groups, a MANOVA was used. Due to the large number of variables in this study in relation to the sample size, the variables were grouped together and three separate MANOVAs were conducted. The first focused on lumbar lordosis, lower extremity flexibility, and abdominal strength and no significant differences for any of the variables between the two groups were found. The second assessed the differences between thoracic kyphosis and upper extremity flexibility for the two groups, and a significant difference (p = .005) was found for the right and left pectoralis minor measurement, with the water polo group having significantly higher measurements bilaterally. The third evaluated body fat percentage and weight for the two groups, and a significant difference (p = .023) was found. The water polo group weighed significantly more than the control group.

Pearson product-moment correlations were also conducted between lower extremity flexibility, abdominal strength, weight, body composition and lumbar lordosis. A significant positive correlation, r = .30 (p = .05), was found between body fat percentage and lumbar lordosis while a significant negative correlation, r = -.31 (p = .04), was found between abdominal strength and lumbar lordosis. Correlations were also conducted for upper extremity flexibility, weight, body composition and thoracic kyphosis and no significant correlations were found. However, a significant positive correlation was found between weight and body fat percentage with r = .62 (p = .001) and between weight and right pectoralis minor flexibility withr = .37 (p = .012) and weight and left pectoralis minor flexibility with r = .36 (p = .015). In regards to body fat percentage, a significant positive correlation was found with right pectoralis minor flexibility with r = .45 (p = .002) and left pectoralis minor flexibility with r = .41 (p = .005) .

These findings demonstrate that minimal significant differences existed between the two groups in regards to posture and flexibility measures but that some of the variables used for this study were related to one another as was evaluated by the correlations. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Click here to return to the Completed Master Degree Theses in Biomechanics Table of Contents