ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2019
Prevalence of low Back pain among adolescents in relation to the weight of school bags.
Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 35 citations in OpenAlex.
- Does sedentary behaviour cause spinal pain in children and adolescents? A systematic review with meta-analysis.British journal of sports medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Obesity and overweight as risk factors for low back pain in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis.International journal of obesity (2005) · 2024Pooled it
- Effectiveness of Back care education Programme among school children: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.BMC pediatrics · 2024Pooled it
- Associations between school backpack loading, sitting time and low back pain among schoolchildren in Gaborone, Botswana.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2026Article
- Prevalence of Low Back Pain in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 124 Studies.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
- Exploring musculoskeletal discomfort and school bag loads among Thai primary school students: a school-based cross-sectional survey.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Article
- The burden of low back pain in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity: from pathophysiology to prevention and treatment strategies.Therapeutic advances in musculoskeletal disease · 2023Review
- Prevalence and determinants of musculoskeletal pain among school-going children carrying schoolbags: A cross-sectional study from Central India.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2022Article
- Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Pain and Its Relation With Weight of Backpacks in School-Going Children in Eastern India.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Backpack improper use causes musculoskeletal injuries in adolescents: A systematic review.Journal of education and health promotion · 2021Article
- Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe association between the weight of school bag and Low Back Pain (LBP) amongst students remains under intense debate worldwide. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of LBP amongst public high school students (14 to 19 years) in Kuwait and to investigate the association between LBP and the weight of school bags.
methodsAn analytical cross-sectional study using multistage cluster random sampling with probability proportional to size was conducted on a total of 950 public high school students from all governorates. Data on LBP were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. A 0-10 Numeric Pain Rating Scale was used to rate the intensity of LBP. The students' height and weight in addition to the weight of their school bags were measured using appropriate weight and height scales. Logistic regression was used to investigate the association between the weight of school bags and LBP while adjusting for potential confounders.
resultsThe estimated lifetime, 6-month, and 1-month prevalence of LBP were 70.3% (95% CI: 67.30-73.21%), 49.1% (95% CI: 45.83-52.28%), and 30.8% (95% CI: 27.81-33.78%) respectively, with significantly higher prevalence amongst females compared to males (p < 0.001). The absolute weight of school bag was not significantly associated with LBP neither in univariable nor multivariable analysis. The relative weight of school bag (as a percentage of the body weight) was significantly associated with LBP in univariable analysis but not in multivariable analysis. The perceived heaviness of school bag, however, was found to be significantly associated with LBP throughout the analysis (p < 0.001).
conclusionIn conclusion, LBP amongst high school students in Kuwait seems to be very common with a prevalence resembling that of high-income countries. Our data suggest that the perceived heaviness of school bag is far more important than the actual bag weight. Current recommendations about the weight of school bags, which are not supported by evidence, should be revised to take into account the students' perceived heaviness of school bag.
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