Backpacks are essential to all students to lug around countless sheets of paper, stuffed binders, food provisions for the day, heavy textbooks, notebooks with scribbled writing within them, folders that are falling apart from too many worksheets, and other miscellaneous items such as headphones, pens, pencils, phone chargers, and the occasional strange article of clothing. There is an issue with backpacks, though, because carrying all of this stuff has been proved to lead to an increase in back pain among students.
Surveys have been conducted for years by doctors and professionals to test and see if heavy backpacks really can be responsible. Consumer Reports researchers visited three New York City schools to determine how much weight children are actually carrying on their backs.
Sixth graders were carrying backpacks with an average weight of 18.4 pounds, and the highest weight being as much as 30 pounds. Their study also concluded that as students rise up in grade level, their loads get heavier. Researchers arrived at this point by testing lower grade levels like second and fourth grade, and the results showed an obvious increase in the weight.
A survey was also conducted among students at Har-Ber to see how much weight they were carrying around on their backs on a daily basis. Responses ranged from as little as five pounds to as much as 40 pounds. The students responded with an estimation of what their backpacks weighed, so depending on the person, results varied greatly. One student answered, “Half my weight probably” on the survey, and others answered rather hyperbolically, sending in answers such as 37,414,786 pounds.
By combining the results of the survey in New York and the survey of Har-Ber, it can pretty much be concluded that students are probably carrying more than they should in their backpacks. Students recognize the excessive weight, but choose to ignore it and accept it as a commonality. Unfortunately, though, the extra pounds are truly harmful to students’ bodies.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that backpacks should weigh no more than ten to twenty percent of a person’s weight. If backpacks weigh more than the recommended weight, severe lower back pain can and will result from that.
In order to lessen the load or help with the weight, there are some easy things than can be done. The first thing, obviously, would be to empty the backpack and reassess what is needed and what can be taken out. Then, make sure the backpack is being worn correctly. Healthychildren.org recommends always using both shoulder straps of the backpack to evenly distribute the weight, rather than having it all on one shoulder.
They also suggest tightening the straps on the backpack, and that a backpack should hang two inches above the waist. Along with those things that can be done, there are a few other practical things. Organizing backpacks and utilizing school lockers can make a big difference in lessening the strain on the muscles in the back and shoulders.
Make sure to pay closer attention to how much you’re carrying around. By taking the tips given by healthychildren.org and reevaluating the load in your backpack, you will most likely be able to save your back.