Backpacks and school children’s obesity: challenges for public health and ergonomics

Paula, Adma Jussara Fonseca de; Silva, J. C. P.; Paschoarelli, Luís Carlos; Fujii, J. B.

doi:10.3233/wor-2012-0261-900

Cited by 23 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The final statistical model confirms the previous literature that there is a gender difference in the prevalence of back pain in schoolchildren. 1,2,5,12 BMI was also found to be a risk factor towards the development of back pain in children. 2,13 In the final model, bag weight to body weight ratio was analysed as a continuous variable instead of using the recommended 10% bag weight to body weight ratio.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

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Schoolbags and back pain in children between 8 and 13 years: a national study

Spiteri

Busuttil

Aquilina

et al. 2017

British Journal of Pain

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Schoolbag weight in schoolchildren is a recurrent and contentious issue within the educational and health sphere. Excessive schoolbag weight can lead to back pain in children, which increases the risk of chronic back pain in adulthood. There is limited research regarding this among the Maltese paediatric population. A cross-sectional study was undertaken across all schools in Malta among students aged 8-13 years (inclusive). Data were collected using a questionnaire detailing schoolbag characteristics, self-reported pain and demographic variables, such as age and gender. Structured interviews with participants were also carried out by physiotherapists. A total of 4005 participants were included in the study, with 20% of the total Malta schoolchildren population. Over 70% of the subjects had a schoolbag that exceeded the recommended 10% bag weight to body ratio. A total of 32% of the sample complained of back pain, with 74% of these defining it as low in intensity on the face pain scale-revised. The presence of back pain was statistically related to gender, body mass index (BMI), school and bag weight to body weight ratio. After adjusting for other factors, self-reported back pain in schoolchildren is independently linked to carrying heavy schoolbags. This link should be addressed to decrease the occurrence of back pain in this age group.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…The incorrect handling of schoolbags with excessive bag weight can lead to back pain in children. [1][2][3][4] It is recommended that the total weight of the schoolbag does not exceed 10% of body weight. 1 The development of back pain in children is of concern since it increases the risk of developing chronic back pain in adulthood.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Schoolbags and back pain in children between 8 and 13 years: a national study

Spiteri

Busuttil

Aquilina

et al. 2017

British Journal of Pain

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Recently, the relationship between carrying schoolbags and back pain (BP) has received considerable attention. The incorrect carriage of schoolbags, and carrying heavy bags, may result in back pain in adolescents [1][2][3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Back Pain and Schoolbags among Adolescents in Abha City, Southwestern Saudi Arabia

Assiri

Mahfouz

Awadalla

et al. 2019

IJERPH

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The incorrect carriage of schoolbags and heavy bags may result in back pain (BP) in adolescents. Our objective was to assess the problem of BP and associated factors among adolescents. This was a cross-sectional study targeting intermediate and secondary school adolescents in Abha City, Saudi Arabia. An anonymous questionnaire for BP was used. Student body weight and the weight of their full schoolbag were measured. The study included 876 adolescents. An overall prevalence of BP of 39.4% (95% CI: 35.3–43.7) was found. Upper BP (UBP), middle BP (MBP), and lower BP (LBP) amounted to 14.5%, 13.4%, and 11.5%, respectively. Associated significant factors with MBP were carrying the bag on one side compared to on the back (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.20–3.73) and being at intermediate level compared to secondary (aOR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.04–2.40). On the other hand, gender and schoolbag weight/body weight percent were not found to be significantly associated with MBP. None of the studied factors were significantly associated with overall BP, UBP, or LBP. BP is a prevalent among adolescents in southwest Saudi Arabia. One-sided schoolbag carriage is a significant associated factor for middle back pain. Parents and teachers should encourage students to consider the correct way to carry schoolbag.

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“…Despite the absence of exact reference values for the mass of school bags, heavy loads have been identified as one of the main causes of back pain [11]. Therefore, most researchers and health practitioners recommend the maximum weight of a schoolbag to be 10% of the body mass of healthy students, and the load to be equally distributed over both shoulders [12,13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison between the Physiological Responses and Subjective Ratings of a Group of Male Students to Three Backpack Designs

Ramadan

Al-Tayyar

2019

IJERPH

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It is important for schoolchildren and their parents (or guardians) to know which backpacks exert the least strain on the cardiorespiratory system. In this study, we investigated the physiological responses of participants while they were walking on a treadmill and wearing one of three different backpacks (A, B, and C) under two different load-carrying conditions (equivalent to 10% and 15% of their body mass, respectively). The first condition was used as a control and involved walking without a backpack, while the second involved wearing a backpack and carrying a certain weight. Thirty-one male students from King Saud University walked on a treadmill at 0.861 m/s and at a 0% inclination angle, while having their heart rates (beatsmin−1), oxygen uptakes (VO2, mLmin−1), respiratory rates (breaths, VO2min−1), perceived exertion rates (PER, Borg scale), and backpack preference rates (BPR) measured and recorded. The results of our within-subject experimental design revealed that the physiological results varied significantly depending on the type of backpack. Backpacks B and C were superior to Backpack A, resulting in lower physiological responses and higher subjective preferences. Students carrying more weight experienced higher physiological stress; moreover, the use of Backpack C led to the lowest physiological strains and higher subjective preferences.

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Backpacks and school children’s obesity: challenges for public health and ergonomics

Cited by 23 publications

References 10 publications

Schoolbags and back pain in children between 8 and 13 years: a national study

Schoolbags and back pain in children between 8 and 13 years: a national study

Back Pain and Schoolbags among Adolescents in Abha City, Southwestern Saudi Arabia

Comparison between the Physiological Responses and Subjective Ratings of a Group of Male Students to Three Backpack Designs

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