Investigatıon of the effects of a 12-week swimming exercise program on cobb angle, body image perception, and psychological well-being in children with scoliosis

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a 12-week basic swimming training program on Cobb angle, body image perception, and psychological well-being in children aged 8–14 years diagnosed with scoliosis. A total of 24 children diagnosed with scoliosis by specialist physicians and living in Gümüşhane voluntarily participated in the study. The research was conducted using a single-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design. Data were collected through Cobb angle measurements, the Stirling Children’s Emotional and Psychological Well-being Scale, and the Child Body Image Scale. Participants attended a structured basic swimming training program for 12 weeks. The data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test, Mann–Whitney U Test, and Spearman Correlation Analysis. The findings revealed a significant decrease in Cobb angle values following the 12-week swimming program (p < 0.05). In addition, psychological well-being scores significantly increased compared with pretest values (p < 0.05). However, no statistically significant change was observed in body image perception (p > 0.05). Analyses based on gender indicated no significant differences in changes in Cobb angle and psychological well-being between male and female participants (p > 0.05). Correlation analyses demonstrated significant relationships between psychological well-being and several study variables. In conclusion, the 12-week basic swimming training program produced positive physical and psychological outcomes in children with scoliosis. The findings suggest that swimming exercises may be considered a supportive intervention in rehabilitation and treatment programs for children with scoliosis.