The Effect of School Bags Weight on Musculoskeleton of Schoolchildren

Abstract

Background: Schoolchildren usually use school bags to carry their school  materials.  Carrying  heavy  school  bags  can  cause  several problems such as musculoskeletal problems among schoolchildren. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the weight of school bags and the occurrence of low back, shoulder and hand/wrist symptoms among primary school children. 
Method:  This  cross-sectional,  descriptive-  analytical  study  was conducted  among  a  sample  of  500  elementary  school  children  in Baqubah Iraq. Data were collected using a questionnaire and from measurement of the school bag weight, body weight, distance on foot and any muscular pain of each participant. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. 
Results: The average load carried by schoolchildren was 4.250 kg, representing approximately 28.4% of the children's body weight. Girls and lower grade children carried a greater percentage of their body weights. Approximately 83% of the children reported some kind of musculoskeletal symptoms. The results of binary logistic regression indicated that the school bag weight (expressed as a percentage of body weight) was only significantly associated with shoulder/wrist symptoms (P<0.05). Girls were more likely to complaint from low back pain than boys were.. 
Conclusion: The results indicate a high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among elementary schoolchildren. Preventive measures and appropriate  guidelines  with  regard  to  safe  load  carriage  in schoolchildren are needed to protect this age group.