Schoolbag carriage and schoolbag-related musculoskeletal discomfort among primary school children

Dockrell, Sara; Simms, Ciaran; Blake, Catherine

doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2015.05.009

Cited by 64 publications

(110 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…The data analysed in this paper was from a discrete subgroup of the original participants in our prior report [22]. Eligibility for inclusion here was limited to children who carried only a schoolbag on the assessment day.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A cross-sectional study design was used to establish the child and schoolbag weight, and the duration of carriage. A subset of the data collected as part of the study reported in [22] provided a suitable dataset for assessing the appropriateness of the different weight limit guidelines. The utility of current conventional discrete schoolbag weight limits, and schoolbag weight expressed as a continuous variable, were explored.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The questionnaire contained 27 items, that have been reported earlier [22], but only those items relating to demographic information (n = 4), the child and schoolbag weight (n = 3), the schoolbag characteristics (n = 2) and the duration of carriage (n = 1) are reported here.…”

Section: Duration Of Carriagementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, they have not evaluated the discriminative ability of the proposed schoolbag weight cut-off values for identifying children with schoolbag-related discomfort. A recent study of the dose-response relationship between schoolbag weight and schoolbag-related discomfort concluded that the weight limit guidelines should be reviewed [22]. Additionally the focus of earlier studies has primarily been on back pain, but evidence indicates that schoolbag-related shoulder pain may be a greater problem than back pain [4,19,22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Guidelines for schoolbag carriage: An appraisal of safe load limits for schoolbag weight and duration of carriage

Dockrell

Blake

Simms

2016

WOR

Self Cite

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Abstract. BACKGROUND:There is no global agreement on a schoolbag weight limit and little assessment of its utility. The duration of carriage is another factor yet there is no previous systematic assessment of the utility of cut-off values for it in identifying schoolbag-related discomfort. OBJECTIVES:The objectives were to establish if there was a threshold for musculoskeletal discomfort based on (i) percentage bodyweight (%BW) of the schoolbag; (ii) duration of carriage; or (iii) combined %BW and duration. METHODS: Using data from 462 primary school children, a novel experimental approach was used to explore the utility of conventional schoolbag weight limit guidelines and duration of carriage. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to examine the predictive performance of schoolbag weight and duration of carriage. RESULTS: The mean schoolbag weight (4.8 ± 1.43 kg) represented a mean 12.4 ± 4.18%BW. Only 30.7% of the sample carried schoolbags that were ≤10%BW. The majority (76%) carried schoolbags to school for ≤10 minutes. No %BW, duration of carriage or mechanical burden criterion provided a threshold cut-off point for accurately predicting schoolbag-related discomfort. CONCLUSIONS: Guidelines for safe schoolbag carriage that are based on mechanical factors alone could not be upheld. The association between duration of carriage and back discomfort warrants further investigation.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Duration Of Carriagementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Guidelines for schoolbag carriage: An appraisal of safe load limits for schoolbag weight and duration of carriage

Dockrell

Blake

Simms

2016

WOR

Self Cite

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“…The research shows that 77.1% of the students reported to suffer from musculoskeletal symptoms and the symptoms was most prevalent in the neck, shoulders, upper back and lower back. Furthermore, another recent study in Ireland also found that the prevalence of baseline musculoskeletal discomfort was as high as 63.4% on student of mean age 10.6, where schoolbag related discomfort was reported more frequently on the shoulders (27.3%) than on the back (15%) and time factor was also taken into account as most students carried their bags for almost less than 10 minutes [9]. This shows that students who carries heavy burden on their back more than the recommended weight will somehow develop pain on their neck shoulders and back which might leads to Musculoskeletal disorder at early age.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Study on Relationship Between Carrying Schoolbags and The Prevalence of Neck and Back Pain Among 7 – 9 Year Old Students

Kabilmiharbi

Santhirasegaram

2016

MATEC Web Conf.

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Abstract. There is a growing concern these days that children are carrying way too much weight on their backs. School students are at risk of developing Musculoskeletal Disorder or possibly long term back pain due to the frequent exposure of carrying heavy schoolbags. In Malaysia, this problem is currently an overlooked issue as not many are aware of the importance of maximum allowable load that should be carried by school students together with proper posture and how all these will affect the children in the future. An interview was conducted based on 90 school students of age 7 to 9 year old regarding the body part discomfort that they experience while carrying the schoolbag. Furthermore, the weight of the schoolbag and the student's height and weight was taken for this study. The responses were classified based on age and gender as the anthropometry differs on ages and gender. A statistical analysis is carried out with the results obtained. The finding of the statistical analysis showed that the prevalence of neck and back pain does exist among 7-9 year old school students and almost 90 of them are affected. Among the main problems are that the schoolbag design, the incorrect ways of carrying the schoolbag, the excessive weight of the schoolbag and the prolonged duration of constantly carrying the schoolbag. Necessary action should be taken to overcome these problems.

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The association between the weight of schoolbags and low back pain among schoolchildren: A systematic review, meta‐analysis and individual patient data meta‐analysis

Calvo-Muñoz

Kovacs

Figuls

et al. 2019

European Journal of Pain

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Background The objective of this study was to determine whether carrying a heavy schoolbag is associated to a higher prevalence of low back pain (LBP). Methods A systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted (PROSPERO, CRD42018077839). Observational studies analysing the relationship between schoolbag weight and LBP, were searched for in 20 electronic databases and 12 specialized journals until February 28th, 2019, without date or language restrictions. All studies which included ≥ 50 subjects aged 9 to 16, were reviewed. Methodological quality was assessed by two reviewers separately, using validated tools. A meta‐analysis and an individual patient data (IPD) meta‐analysis were conducted to examine the relationship between schoolbag weight and LBP. Certainty of evidence was assessed using an adapted GRADE methodology. Results 5,524 citations were screened, 21 studies (18,296 subjects) were reviewed and 11 studies (9,188 subjects) were included in the meta‐analysis. The IPD meta‐analysis included 9,188 subjects from seven studies. Among the 21 studies reviewed, the mean score for methodological quality was 78.3 of 100. Only one study suggested an association between heavier schoolbags and LBP. Neither the meta‐analysis nor the IPD meta‐analysis found an association between carrying schoolbags weighing > 10% of bodyweight, and LBP. No differences based on age, gender or sport activity were found. Discussion Available evidence does not support that schoolbags weighing > 10% of bodyweight are associated with a higher prevalence of LBP among schoolchildren aged 9–16. The certainty of evidence is low. Further research is required on the relationship between schoolbag weight and LBP. Significance This systematic review, with a meta‐analysis and an IPD meta‐analysis, failed to find a link between schoolbags weighing ≥ 10% of body weight and LBP among schoolchildren aged 9 to 16. Further longitudinal studies, with large samples, long follow‐up periods, and rigorous methods taking into account duration of carry and the physical capacity of each subject, are required in this field.

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Schoolbag carriage and schoolbag-related musculoskeletal discomfort among primary school children

Cited by 64 publications

References 59 publications

Guidelines for schoolbag carriage: An appraisal of safe load limits for schoolbag weight and duration of carriage

Guidelines for schoolbag carriage: An appraisal of safe load limits for schoolbag weight and duration of carriage

A Study on Relationship Between Carrying Schoolbags and The Prevalence of Neck and Back Pain Among 7 – 9 Year Old Students

The association between the weight of schoolbags and low back pain among schoolchildren: A systematic review, meta‐analysis and individual patient data meta‐analysis

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