Schoolbag weight may not be lone reason for back pain: Study
Weight of the school bag is not necessarily associated with back pain, results of a new study done in two Pune schools have shown. From among 163 students, who were part of the study, back pain was reported by 88 children from Standard 7 to 9. While researchers are planning a larger survey and are in talks with more schools, this study has found other factors like watching TV for more than an hour daily were among the causes of back pain. Dr Gauri Oak, research consultant with Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital and Research Centre said that the scientific world is divided over factors contributing to back pain in children. Watch What Else is Making News British Swiss and American studies show that there are severalfactors that cause back pain besides weight of the school bag. However, there is concern among teachers, parents, students, as well as, medical professionals regarding this matter. With very few studies on this subject, Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital and research centre along with Jnana Prabhodini Sanshodan Sanstha took up this project to study the prevalence of back pain in schoolchildren and assess its association with physical and/or psychosocial factors in the last year. Data was collected from two English medium schools from Pune – one at Erandwane and the other at Sadashiv Peth. Consent for participation was given by parents of 163 students. Students filled out 2 questionnaires, one which sought information regarding back pain and physical factors such as mode of transport to school, method of carrying schoolbag, injury to back, frequency of sports/exercise activities in school, and a week’s recall of duration of computer/laptop use and hours spent watching TV (per day). The students’ weights and also weights of their school bags were recorded. For exploring psychosocial factors, we used a standardised screening tool called “Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire”. There were almost equal number of boys and girls with an average age of 13.5 years and mean weight 47.1 kg. The weights of school bags ranged from 2.2 kg to 15.6 kg, with average bag weight being 6.1 kg. Back pain was reported by 54% students. There was no significant difference in the mean weights of school bags carried by students with and without back pain, Oak along with Dr Ashish Ranade, paediatric orthopaedic surgeon said. The weight of school bag was found to have no association with back pain. Back pain was reported by a greater proportion of students watching television for more than one hour a day (58.6% vs 41.4%). Other factors found associated in students reporting back pain, as against those not reporting back pain, were history of back injury (85% Vs 15%) and having a family member suffering from back pain (70% Vs 30%). Oak however said there was a need for a larger survey and there has been a positive response from schools so far. We will commence with the next part of the research project once the new academic year begins, she said.
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