With the way Chinese parents are pushing their children to excell academically, are they suffering greater rates of obesity and other problems from inactivity?

Although obesity is becoming a problem among school children around the world, the incidence of low back pain has really caught the eye of public health officials. In China, according to a recent survey of 2100 school-aged children (ages 10 to 17), one-fourth of all boys and one-third of all girls (same ages) reported low back pain.

And since we know there is a correlation between low back pain in childhood and back pain in adults, it’s likely that many of these children will continue to suffer low back pain later on in life.

Although sitting in front of a computer or bending over a desk for long periods of time may increase the risk of low back pain, Chinese children are not the only ones reporting a problem. According to studies around the world, there are similar patterns among British, American, Danish, and Japanese children.

The Chinese study (survey) we mentioned did not analyze the why but the authors suggested a few possibilities. Heavier backpacks, longer study time, and greater numbers of children affected by anxiety and/or depression might be contributing factors. The reaons for the rising rates of low back pain in our children needs further investigation. We must identify risk factors and begin to take steps to prevent back pain at such an early age.