Musculoskeletal symptomatology in skeletally immature students carrying heavy backpacks: a cross-sectional study.

Zehra Alvi, Ali Alvi, Melanie A Mascarenhas, Mansour Alvi, Konstantine K Zakzanis

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Zehra AlviUniversity of Toronto St. George, Department of Human Biology.

Ali AlviUniversity of Toronto St. George, Department of Human Biology.

Melanie A MascarenhasUniversity of Toronto Scarborough, Department of Psychological Clinical Science.

Mansour AlviScarborough Health Network, Toronto, ON.

Konstantine K ZakzanisUniversity of Toronto St. George, Department of Human Biology.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Young students with skeletal immaturity report an increasing number of musculoskeletal symptoms associated with daily use of heavy backpacks. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between heavy backpack use and reports of pain. Methods: Data were collected from 300 students aged 11 to 18 at the University of Toronto Schools. Results: Students, on average, carried 15.9% of their body weight. 54% of students reported physiological complaints, primarily back, shoulder, neck, and leg pain. Backpack weight as a % of body weight was strongly associated with pain complaints. Younger students and those with longer commutes were more likely to report heavy backpacks (50% compared to 22.6% of older students, p< .001) and pain. Conclusion: Carrying heavy backpacks could result in increased musculoskeletal complaints in young students. Findings suggest that even the upper bound of currently recommended guidelines (20% of body weight) may be too high, especially for younger children.

Indexed as

back painchild healthcross-sectional studiespainstudents

Identifiers

PMID39318845

PMCPMC11418801

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.