Back

School Kids' Backpacks May Not Carry the Blame for Back Pain

The common wisdom is that back and neck pain are increasing in children. Yet research is unclear about exactly how many kids have such pain. Studies claim that anywhere from eight percent all the way up to 75 percent of children have had back and neck pain. It is also unknown exactly why kids have more back and neck pain. Recently, the focus has been on how backpacks and school bags affect kids' spines. This issue has been especially important in Europe.

This study from the Netherlands looked at the weight of backpacks carried by 12- to 14-year-olds. It was found that the children carried on average about 15 percent of their body weight in their backpacks, although there was a wide variation in pack weights. The researchers also questioned the kids about their lifestyle and pain. What they found is that about 45 percent of the children complained of pain in the back, neck, or shoulder. (About six to seven percent had severe pain.) However, the weight of backpacks was not related to the severity of pain. And only about 13 percent of kids carried their packs in the way that was easiest on the back and neck.

Researchers found that pain levels had no relationship to sports, smoking, or time watching TV and using computers. The strongest link was seen in kids who reported vague feelings of poor health, such as headaches, fatigue, and stomach aches. There was also a link in kids who thought their packs were especially heavy, even though they usually overestimated the loads they carried. Girls had more pain than boys, and children from the city reported more pain than children from the country. The researchers had no theories about why this was true.

The authors found it alarming that almost half of the kids in this study reported having back, neck, or shoulder pain. Children with back or neck pain often become adults with long-term spine pain. It is a potentially serious problem that should be addressed. But this study suggests that backpacks can't carry the whole load of blame for back pain in kids.

References: Charlotte van Gent, et al. The Weight of Schoolbags and the Occurrence of Neck, Shoulder, and Back Pain in Young Adolescents. In Spine. May 1, 2003. Vol. 28. No. 9. Pp. 916-921.

Back