School bags and associated back pain
Introduction: The most common health problem associated with the negative effect of heavy school bags is back pain, and non-specific back pain is frequently observed in childhood. The prevalence of back pain in schoolchildren varies from 12% to 92%, depending on the age and affected region of the ba...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Sarajevo
2018-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Health Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.jhsci.ba/ojs/index.php/jhsci/article/view/627 |
| _version_ | 1811276241506926592 |
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| author | Amra Mačak Hadžiomerović Amila Jaganjac Dijana Avdic Emira švraka Arzija Pašalić Eldad Kaljić Danijela Domljan Edita Omerović |
| author_facet | Amra Mačak Hadžiomerović Amila Jaganjac Dijana Avdic Emira švraka Arzija Pašalić Eldad Kaljić Danijela Domljan Edita Omerović |
| author_sort | Amra Mačak Hadžiomerović |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: The most common health problem associated with the negative effect of heavy school bags is back pain, and non-specific back pain is frequently observed in childhood. The prevalence of back pain in schoolchildren varies from 12% to 92%, depending on the age and affected region of the back. To prevent the occurrence of back pain in schoolchildren, the weight of school bag should not exceed 10% of the child’s body mass.
Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in April 2017. We included 79 students of the fifth and sixth grade from the elementary school in Sarajevo. Information on the weight and type of school bag, method of carrying a school bag, and feelings of pain and tiredness due to school bag were obtained by questionnaire.
Results: In the total sample, the majority of the students (64.6%) reported occasional back pain while carrying the bag, 20.3% of students reported no back pain, and 11.4% of students experienced frequent back pain. The mean school bag weight in the fifth grade was 4.01 ± 0.57 kg, and it was significantly higher (4.61 ± 0.86 kg) in the sixth grade. About 48.5% of the students in the fifth and 50% in the sixth grade carried school bags weighing more than 10% of the body mass. A higher mean weight of school bag was significantly more frequent in students who reported always feeling tired (11.03 ± 2.74%) compared to those who did not feel tired while carrying the school bag (8.41 ± 2%).
Conclusions: Overall, more frequent occurrence of back pain and tiredness in schoolchildren was associated with heavier school bags (>10% of the body mass), and the occurrence of back pain due to school bag was related to gender (i.e., back pain was more common in girls compared to boys). |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T23:52:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dfe4a005724a4897a4ce2871a27e662b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2232-7576 1986-8049 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T23:52:58Z |
| publishDate | 2018-04-01 |
| publisher | University of Sarajevo |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Health Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-dfe4a005724a4897a4ce2871a27e662b2022-12-22T03:11:37ZengUniversity of SarajevoJournal of Health Sciences2232-75761986-80492018-04-018110.17532/jhsci.2017.510School bags and associated back painAmra Mačak Hadžiomerović0Amila Jaganjac1Dijana Avdic2Emira švraka3Arzija Pašalić4Eldad Kaljić5Danijela Domljan6Edita Omerović7Faculty of Health Studies, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and HerzegovinaFaculty of Health Studies, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and HerzegovinaFaculty of Health Studies, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and HerzegovinaFaculty of Health Studies, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and HerzegovinaFaculty of Health Studies, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and HerzegovinaFaculty of Health Studies, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and HerzegovinaFaculty of Forestry, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, CroatiaFaculty of Health Studies, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and HerzegovinaIntroduction: The most common health problem associated with the negative effect of heavy school bags is back pain, and non-specific back pain is frequently observed in childhood. The prevalence of back pain in schoolchildren varies from 12% to 92%, depending on the age and affected region of the back. To prevent the occurrence of back pain in schoolchildren, the weight of school bag should not exceed 10% of the child’s body mass. Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in April 2017. We included 79 students of the fifth and sixth grade from the elementary school in Sarajevo. Information on the weight and type of school bag, method of carrying a school bag, and feelings of pain and tiredness due to school bag were obtained by questionnaire. Results: In the total sample, the majority of the students (64.6%) reported occasional back pain while carrying the bag, 20.3% of students reported no back pain, and 11.4% of students experienced frequent back pain. The mean school bag weight in the fifth grade was 4.01 ± 0.57 kg, and it was significantly higher (4.61 ± 0.86 kg) in the sixth grade. About 48.5% of the students in the fifth and 50% in the sixth grade carried school bags weighing more than 10% of the body mass. A higher mean weight of school bag was significantly more frequent in students who reported always feeling tired (11.03 ± 2.74%) compared to those who did not feel tired while carrying the school bag (8.41 ± 2%). Conclusions: Overall, more frequent occurrence of back pain and tiredness in schoolchildren was associated with heavier school bags (>10% of the body mass), and the occurrence of back pain due to school bag was related to gender (i.e., back pain was more common in girls compared to boys).https://www.jhsci.ba/ojs/index.php/jhsci/article/view/627schoolbagback paintiredness |
| spellingShingle | Amra Mačak Hadžiomerović Amila Jaganjac Dijana Avdic Emira švraka Arzija Pašalić Eldad Kaljić Danijela Domljan Edita Omerović School bags and associated back pain Journal of Health Sciences schoolbag back pain tiredness |
| title | School bags and associated back pain |
| title_full | School bags and associated back pain |
| title_fullStr | School bags and associated back pain |
| title_full_unstemmed | School bags and associated back pain |
| title_short | School bags and associated back pain |
| title_sort | school bags and associated back pain |
| topic | schoolbag back pain tiredness |
| url | https://www.jhsci.ba/ojs/index.php/jhsci/article/view/627 |
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