Backpacks Bring Back Pain for School-Aged Children

Back to school...

Spine, a biweekly peer-reviewed medical journal, published a study in 2003 investigating the relationship between backpack use and back pain in children.

The study, like many others that preceded and followed, identified the use of backpacks during the school day and backpack weights as a major factor contributing to early back pain in adolescents.

Results showed that while backpack weight remains even across genders, girls reported higher degrees of pain than boys at an earlier age, but all suffered physical, emotional, and psychosocial consequences that impacted their education.

Ultimately, of the 1,122 children in the 2003 study who used backpacks, 74.4% were classified by a physician as having back pain, “validated by significantly poorer general health, more limited physical functioning, and more bodily pain."

“As compared with adolescents who had no back pain, adolescents with back pain carried significantly heavier backpacks that represented a significantly greater portion of their body weights.” – Sheir-Neiss, G. I., Kruse, R. W., Rahman, T., Jacobson, L. P., & Pelli, J. A. (2003). The association of backpack use and back pain in adolescents. Spine, 28(9), 922-930.

As schools adopt modern technology, it’s easy to see how we could easily lower backpack weights – get rid of those heavy textbooks and opt for E-books.

As a matter of fact, another 2003 study determined that books, like assigned reading and textbooks, accounted for roughly 68 – 78% of a backpack's weight.

Besides reducing the load by eliminating heavy textbooks, how can you tell when your child’s backpack is too heavy before the resulting back pain?

Fortunately, we know exactly how heavy is too heavy for your child. Numerous health experts agree, that a child’s backpack weight should never exceed 15% of your child’s body weight – and ideally, children should only carry a backpack that weighs 10% of their body weight.

For example, a 100-pound child should ideally carry a backpack weighing 10-pounds or less and should never exceed 15-pounds.

To help ease the load, follow these tips:

• Buy a backpack with wide, padded straps to minimize pressure on the shoulders and collarbone
• Pick a backpack made from lightweight materials (leather is heavier than nylon)
• Use both straps, carrying the backpack on both shoulders, to spread the weight evenly
• Adjust the shoulder straps so the bag rests about two inches above the waist
• Place the heaviest items closest to the center of the backpack to minimize additional strain
• Lift with your knees instead of leaning over to lift a heavy backpack
• If given a locker at school, encourage your child to use it during the school day instead of carrying their backpack to classes
• Make sure your child isn’t bringing along unnecessary items to school that may be weighing down their backpack

Parents, talk to your school board and your child’s teachers to help reduce the weight of backpacks on our children.

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