Abstract:

Health experts and institutions recommend face coverings for kids above the age of 2 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this research is to examine the impact of wearing surgical masks on functional movement and stability in primary school-aged children. A sample of sixty healthy elementary school children aged between 9-12 were recruited. The variables of the study were six minutes walking test (6 MWT), 30-second sit to stand test, single leg stance test (SLST) and a dyspnea assessment. All assessments were contrasted between the two testing scenarios [wearing a surgical mask (SM) and not wearing a mask (NM)]. A statistically significant difference was observed when comparing the 6 MWT (p=0.00) and the 30-second sitto- stand test (p=0.00) outcomes for both NM and SM situations. There was no significant difference in SLST between testing conditions (p>0.05). Also, the rating of perceived dyspnea values with the mask was significantly greater than the test condition without a mask (p<0.05). The use of a mask can cause differences in performance.

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