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Parents have no idea how heavy young childrens' school bags/backpacks are
December 17, 2002Parents have no idea how much their young children are carrying to school each day in school bags and backpacks, reveals a study in Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Heavy loads increase the risk of injury and permanent changes in posture and gait. In the US, backpack injuries account for 10,000 emergency hospital/clinic visits every year.
Among 745 young children attending elementary schools, including kindergarten, in Texas, 188 routinely carried backpacks weighing at least 10% of their body weight. The average weight of their packs was just under 5 kilos, representing around 14% of their body weight. The most common item carried was a reading book, followed by textbooks, folders, sports kit, lunch-box and personal items.
Only seven parents (4%) had ever checked the weight of their children's packs. A third had never checked the contents. Children whose parents had never checked their backpacks also tended to carry the heaviest weights, and more textbooks.
"It is easy to underestimate the large supply demands required of children in our modern educational system. Carrying a day's worth of books, supplies, gym clothes, and the myriad of items treasured by children for many hours is a difficult task," comment the authors.
They urge parents to be more vigilant and call on schools to compel children to keep their packs in lockers and give them more time to move between classes, in a bid to avert potential injuries.
British Medical Journal (BMJ)
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