Source and GRADE Evidence Level Purpose Design and Sample Independent Variable or Intervention Dependent Variable Findings
Oosterwijk, Rotteveel, Fischer, Hess 26 GRADE Level: Moderate
To examine whether the activation of emotions pride and disappointment are accompanied by changes in posture.
Double blind, repeated measures study 57 (52 women) undergraduate psychology students, primarily women Intervention: Emotional reactions (to +/- emotional photo) Control: reaction to non-emotional photo (Wellbeing Scale by Hess & Blairy)
Posture (digital camera software)
Main effect for concept (pride, disappointment) F(1,56)=5.07, p=.028 supporting with disappointment, posture height decreased significantly more than during the pride task. Post-hoc independent t-test showed increased posture height with positive emotion (t(56)=.2.76,p<.004) Negative emotion words decreased posture height more than positive emotion words with concept*time interaction: F(3,164)=2.82, p=.042.
Canales, Cordas, Fiquer, Cavalcante, Moreno 28 GRADE Level: Moderate
To quantify posture and body image in patients with major depressive disorder (during episodes and after medication treatment) compared to healthy volunteers.
10-week, non-randomized, observational, case-control study 34 people diagnosed with major depression disorder (42.4 + 9.1 years), (77% female) 37 age and gender (78% female) matched controls
Treatment of Depression (in a mood disorders clinic)
Posture (digital camera software) Depression (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression)
Kyphosis significantly worse in patients with depression compared to controls at baseline, (mean ~140 ± 5° vs ~145±6°). With treatment, those with depression showed improved kyphosis by 5° and ressembled controls (p<0.001).
Aviezer, Trope, Todorov 29 GRADE Level: Moderate
To examine whether facial expressions of opposite emotions would overlap, and whether the body context (posture) would aid in interpreting the emotion.
Comparative 45 participants rated emotional reactions in photos in various settings—add details Gender not reported
Intervention: Emotional reactions (viewing photos of face and body)
Posture (body affective valence by participant rating on 1-10 scale)
Correct rating when body included F(2,42)=74.05, p<.0001, but not face alone p>0.3. Changed rating of emotion based on the mismatched body (not the face) F(1,14)=118, p<.0001. Positive and negative faces rated incorrectly F(1,14)=29.6, p<.0001, but when the body was added, emotions were rated correctly F(1,14)=96.9, p<.0001.
Rosario, Diógenes, Mattei, Leite 23 GRADE Level: Low
To investigate the existence of a relationship between sadness, depression and posture.
Cross-sectional descriptive study 40 volunteer women ages 20-30 yo, normal BMI an no comorbidities
Depression (analogue scale 0-10, altered Beck Depression Inventory)
Posture (digital camera software)
Depression and sadness were associated with medium and large effect sizes of kyphotic postures (r = .36-.51; p=.01-.05). Strong correlation between “usual depression” and shoulder inclination (r = 0.822; p=0.02)
Hepach, Vaish, Tomasello 30 GRADE Level: Moderate
To measure changes in upper-body posture related to positive and negative internal states.
Single blinded, repeated measures study 12 volunteer students, ages 14-37 (median 26 years), 50% female 48 children, 52% female, 29-31 months old (median 30 months) Intervention: Emotional reactions (adults: imagining positive or negative; children: self-assessment-manikin rating scale) Rating scale for how pleasant an emotion experienced (9 = very pleasant, 1= very unpleasant)
Posture (digital camera software)
Adults’ had more chest height with positive emotions than negative (approx. 2°, p=0.012) Childrens’ emotions were rated more pleasant after intervention (M = 6.45, SD = 1.66) compared to the baseline (M = 5.83, SD = 1.73) trial, t(41) = 2.24, p=.031). Children with ratings of high positive affect showed greater increase in upper-body posture (r=0.37; p=.03).
Canales, Fiquer, Campos, Soeiro-de-Souza, Moreno 27 GRADE Level: Moderate
To investigate associations between poor spinal posture and recurrence of major depressive disorder.
Prospective comparative cross-sectional study 72 people with depression, 41 with recurrent depression (58% female, age 39 years, SD 9.5), 31 with single episode depression (47% female, age 37 years, SD 9.4) Depression (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale)
Posture (digital camera software)
Group with recurrent depression had worse posture than the group with a single episode (139.38, SD 1.19, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis of covariance showed interaction between severity of depression and degree of kyphosis (test statistic not reported, p = 0.002).