Pupils hurt by heavy school load

By KATHERINE HOBY

When students return to school this week, many will trudge home with homework that is literally weighing them down.

Some parents have become alarmed at the amount of weight students as young as 12 and 13 are carrying.

And back specialists warn that students lugging heavy schoolbags - most New Zealand students carry backpacks - may end up with posture or spinal problems later in life.

A Massey University study in 2000 found secondary students carried loads up to twice the recommended industrial weight for adults of 4kg to 6kg.

Their loads included books, sports gear, laptop computers and musical instruments.

A 1999 Massey survey of 140 Auckland secondary students found that 72.9 per cent of teenagers reported continuing pain, caused at least in part by heavy schoolbags.

Many were carrying an average of 6.6kg everywhere they went at school. Most international experts suggest children should carry no more than 10 per cent of their body weight on a regular basis.

The Massey survey found that 44 per cent of students reported pain in their necks in the previous week, 58 per cent reported pain in their shoulders, 35 per cent said their upper backs hurt and 35 per cent were suffering lower back twinges.

Year 9 students carried an average of 13.2 per cent of their body weight and Year 12 students carried an average of 10.3 per cent.

John Wilson was appalled by how much weight his two teenagers had to carry to school every day.

"Have you seen the little sherpas trekking up and down the street? They're my kids."

He is particularly concerned that his 14-year-old daughter will develop back problems and poor posture as a result of her weighty backpack.

"If you can't lift the pack with two fingers, it's too heavy. Well, I can, but I've got a bit more strength than my girl.

Mr Wilson has told off his son several times for wearing his pack slung over one shoulder. "He'll be the Hunchback of Notre Dame if he doesn't watch out."

Dr Nick Laurie, of City Chiropractic in Auckland, said heavy loads could place extra stress on shoulders and spines, causing muscle fatigue and strain.

To compensate for extra weight on their backs, students lean forward, putting pressure not only on their backs, but their necks too.

"In the early days when a student might have a lot of books, we suggest parents drop their kids at school where possible. That might save them a bit."

American chiropractor Dr Marvin T. Arnsdorff was so concerned that he launched Backpack Safety America.

"Youngsters are lurching forward like peasants," he said on his website. Common sense told us that a heavy load, distributed improperly or unevenly day after day, was going to cause stress to a growing spinal column.

He emphasised that packing a backpack properly, with the heaviest items closest to the back, and learning how to lift it by bending at the knees, could help.

Figures released by the British Chiropractic Association at the end of last year showed that almost one in three patients suffered from injuries stemming from childhood. More than 90 per cent of the association's members agreed pain could have been reduced if addressed when patients were younger.

Tim Hutchful, a spokesman for the association, said: "Children at this age are extremely vulnerable to back problems later in life, as their young bones are 'soft' and still developing. We are acutely aware of the risk and strain that 11- to 18-year-olds are putting themselves under every day."




Observing backpack safety:




How to pack and carry a backpackPack the heaviest items close to back, packing neatly and trying to keep items from shifting.

Lift your backpack as you would any heavy load: by bending at the knees and lifting with both legs. Or have a friend help.

A backpack should be positioned with the bottom about two inches above your waist.

Use both straps. Slinging it over one shoulder may increase the risk of back and shoulder pain. Wearing the bags this way can cause sideways deviation of the spine (scoliosis) because of the asymmetric weight distribution.

Carry the smallest load possible.

Do back exercises.

During long periods of sitting, try to stand once every 20 minutes or so to reduce the stress on spinal discs.

When you buy your next backpack, look for wide padded straps, and a hip or waist strap that keeps it closer to your back.

Ensure the weight does not exceed 10 per cent of your child's body weight.

A backpack should sit on the child's back. If it hangs below their hips, it's too low. If it rests on their neck, it's too high.

Backpacks should be comfortable to wear without having to lean forward.

Wear shoes with a good grip.

Proper lifting techniquefusqiFace the backpack.

Bend at the knees.

Using both hands, check the weight of the pack.

Lift with your legs, not your back.

Carefully slip on one shoulder strap at a time.

Is the bag too heavy?If children need help to lift it on to their shoulders, if they lean forward when walking or if they pant for breath after walking a short distance with the pack, it's too heavy.

Source: Backpack Safety America

Herald feature: Health