Various models of school bags are available in the market entice students to use different types without worrying about muscular and physical problems they may cause. Backpacks, low back packs, front packs, double packs, front backpacks, low back packs, shoulder bags, hand bags and wheeled bags are some of their types. Daily carrying of these bags cause heavy impact on spinal cords of young students and is the main reason for their disorders. Several studies in different countries on bags, revealed that the users’ body posture change while carrying them and neglecting ergonomic principles in their design and their effect on children’s health. Some of these studies have concluded that improper carrying of a school bag, their weight, their bad form and size and the duration of carrying them are the main reasons for lower back pain.
A schoolbag is a special popularity among different groups of individuals, especially students of young ages. Across the country, millions of school children are racing out to the school buses carrying their text and exercise books in overstuffed backpacks hanging on their shoulders. While carrying a backpack to school each morning might seem harmless enough, it can cause some painful back and neck problems for the children.
Two main disorders thought to be induced by carrying a school bag are kyphosis and scoliosis. Researchers have found that carrying backpacks weighing over 10% of the body weight ends in kyphosis and lower pulmonary capacity in individuals. Studies have revealed that heart beat rate, blood pressure and energy used increased in 10 year-old school children carrying bags of weights over 10 and 20% of their body weight. Moreover, carrying backpacks weighing over 10% of body weight induces negative changes to the children’s shoulder and necks. Skeletal disorders related to carrying bags are concurrent effects of factors like extra weight, size, form and length of bags by students.
A conventional backpack used as a school a bag adversely affect the health, safety and productivity of developing school children, in clear opposition to the goals of ergonomics. They are off-axis, posterior-loading systems, causing the body to compensate with postural distortion. It is postural distortion which is chiefly responsible for chronic musculoskeletal pain. Any load applied off-axis is unhealthy for this reason. The postural distortion will continue unless the load is align with the body’s axis, in obedience to the laws of physics and physiology.
Switching to a school bag with castors is a short-term remedy for discomfort, not a posture-training or bone density solution. A backpack with castors is actually heavier and more awkward when carrying is required.
