W-SITTING IN CHILDHOOD: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Objective: Despite the lack of science-based evidence, many specialists and non-specialists consider W-sitting detrimental to children. This systematic review aims to find evidence on W-sitting. Methods: This review was registered on PROSPERO under the number CRD42022313341. During January 2023, the term “W-sitting” and its variations were searched on the following databases: PubMed, Medline, Embase, PEDro, and Cochrane. Duplicate articles and those that addressed themes other than W-sitting were removed. Results: This review found 3641 articles, removed 614 duplicates, and excluded 3021 for focusing on subjects other than W-sitting. It included seven studies for analysis, one of which was a narrative review and two were methodologically inadequate cross-sectional to evaluate the causal effect in W-sitting. Another article evaluated muscular activation in adults according to sitting position. The last article found no causal relation between W-sitting and developmental dysplasia of the hip. Conclusion: This review found no scientific evidence advise against W-sitting in children and no association with hip dysplasia. Moreover, muscular activation remains the same, regardless of the position chosen for sitting.