Artificial intelligence-based mobile application use in physical education and sports: Assessment and correction of posture in elementary school students, Использование мобильных приложений на основе искусственного интеллекта в физическом воспитании и спорте: оценка и коррекция осанки у учащихся начальной школы., Використання мобільних додатків на основі штучного інтелекту у фізичному вихованні та спорті: оцінювання та корекція постави у учнів початкової школи

<jats:p>Background and purpose Smartphone-based posture assessment may enable scalable musculoskeletal screening in schools, yet evidence in elementary school populations remains limited. This study aims to support the early identification of postural deviations and explore the potential of Physical Education and Sports as environments for correcting them in elementary school students. We evaluated whether 6-week program delivered in Physical Education and Sports could lead to measurable improvements in postural alignment. Material and methods The study included 28 male elementary school students (mean age = 9.14 ± 0.71 years) from Slovakia. Researchers assigned participants to experimental group (N = 14; 50%) and control group (N = 14; 50%). Students in the experimental group completed 6-week intervention program integrated in Physical Education and Sports using the Artificial Intelligence Posture Evaluation and Correction System (APECS; New Body Technologies SAS, Grenoble, France) mobile application, whereas students in the control group participated only in regular Physical Education and Sports. Assessments of postural variables occurred before and after the intervention (6-week) using smartphone-based photogrammetry (APECS). Statistical analysis included Mann-Whitney U Tests, Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests, and mixed-design analysis of variance. Results Results demonstrated significant improvements in the experimental group (N = 14; 50%) for asis (p = 0.018), knee (p = 0.002), and foot (p = 0.011). Significant group × time interaction effects emerged for ear (p = 0.028), asis (p = 0.028), and knee (p = 0.032), indicating greater improvement in the experimental group (N = 14; 50%) than in the control group (N = 14; 50%). Conclusions Findings support the practical value of smartphone-based posture assessment and corrective exercise in school environments. Mobile applications may provide accessible, low-cost, and noninvasive tools for early identification and correction of postural deviations in children during Physical Education and Sports.</jats:p>