EMBARGO DATE: JANUARY 15, 2002
Heavy Backpacks Linked to Back Pain in Kids
PHILADELPHIA, PA January 15, 2002 - Carrying backpacks--typically weighing 20 pounds or more--is an important contributor to back pain in schoolchildren, reports a study in the January issue of the journal Spine.
Dr. Stefano Negrini and Roberta Carabalona of Don Carlo Gnocchi Foundation ONLUS in Milan weighed the backpacks of 237 sixth-grade children over six school days. Although loads varied, the average backpack weighed between 19 and 21 pounds. Backpack weights varied by day of the week, by classes, and by child but were fairly consistent from school to school.
Seventy-nine percent of the children felt that their backpacks were heavy and 66 percent felt fatigued by carrying them. Forty-six percent of children felt that carrying backpacks caused back pain.
There was no direct relationship between backpack weight and the presence of back pain. However, rates of back pain were higher for children who felt fatigued by carrying their backpacks and those who carried backpacks for a longer time.
"Backpack carrying has been shown to constitute a considerable daily 'occupational load' of the spine in schoolchildren," the researchers write. They note that, proportional to the children's weight, the average backpack load exceeds legal load limits set for adults.
The results show that many schoolchildren experience discomfort or even back pain related to carrying backpacks. The key factor in this relationship is not necessarily the weight of the backpack; the children's personal physical and psychological characteristics appear to play an important role.
The researchers call on schools, teachers, and families to look for ways of reducing the weight of backpacks. They hope their study will be an important first step in addressing the underestimated problem of excessive backpack loads in children.
Recognized internationally as the leading journal in its field, Spine reports on today's most important diagnostic and therapeutic advances regarding spinal pain, deformity, and disability. Distinguished by its broad scope of coverage and emphasis on patient care, this popular biweekly has earned must-read status in the orthopaedic community. For more information, call 1-800-638-3030 or visit www.spinejournal.com.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (www.LWW.com) is a global publisher of medical, nursing and allied health information resources in book, journal, newsletter, looseleaf, and electronic media formats.
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