article · BMC Research Notes
Carrying heavy schoolbags can lead to musculoskeletal problems in young pupils. A cross-sectional study of 532 primary school children across six schools in Uganda investigated the links between bag use and physical discomfort. Backpacks were the most common type of bag, with younger children carrying disproportionately heavier loads. Pupils in urban schools were younger and carried significantly heavier bags than rural peers, whilst complaining less frequently about bag weight. Nearly a third of all pupils carried loads exceeding ten percent of their body weight. Musculoskeletal pain was reported by 88.2 percent of participants, primarily affecting the neck, shoulders, and upper back, with over thirty-five percent attributing their pain directly to their bags. Lower back pain was significantly associated with carriage methods, walking duration, and post-school sitting time, whilst only nineteen percent had school lockers.
Carrying excessive weight causes widespread physical strain among children during vital stages of physical development. By identifying how carrying habits, walking times, and inadequate storage facilities drive chronic neck, shoulder, and back pain, this work highlights the need for schools and education authorities to provide infrastructure such as lockers and libraries to prevent repetitive strain injuries.
This observational study represents early-stage research that identifies infrastructure and product needs rather than presenting a developed commercial solution. The findings could inform ergonomic schoolbag designs for manufacturers targeting school-age children, as well as procurement decisions by schools and education ministries seeking locker and storage solutions to reduce daily physical loads on pupils who walk long distances.
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BACKGROUND: Though seen as a convenient method of carrying books and other scholastic materials including food items, schoolbags are believed to contribute to back and other musculoskeletal problems in school going children. This study set out to determine the prevalence of low back and other musculoskeletal pains and describe their relationship with schoolbag use in pupils. RESULTS: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study involving 532 pupils from six primary schools with a mean age of 13.6 years. Analyses included the chi- square test, independent t tests, regression analysis and test for trend across ordered groups. Backpacks were the most common type of schoolbag and younger children carried disproportionately heavier bags. Urban pupils were younger, carried significantly heavier bags, and less likely to complain about schoolbag weight than the rural pupils. About 30.8% of the pupils carried schoolbags which were more than 10% of their body weight. About 88.2% of pupils reported having body pain especially in the neck, shoulders and upper back. About 35.4% of the children reported that carrying the schoolbag was the cause of their musculoskeletal pain. The prevalence of lower back pain was 37.8%. There was significant association between low back pain and; method of bag carriage (p < 0.0001), long duration of walking (odds ratio 2.67, 95% CI 1.38- 5.16) and the time spent sitting after school (p = 0.02). Only 19% had lockers at school. CONCLUSION: Urban pupils were younger, carried significantly heavier bags, and less likely to complain about schoolbag weight than the rural pupils. The majority of pupils complained of musculoskeletal pain of which 35.4% was attributed to the schoolbags.The prevalence of lower back pain was 37.8%. Schools need to provide lockers and functional libraries in order to avoid excessive loading and repetitive strain injuries.
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DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-7-222
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