Correlation between Perceived Backpack Weight and Musculoskeletal Pain for Elementary School Children

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between weights of backpack and back and shoulder pains of elementary school students in Korea. A cross-sectional sample of 278 boys and 233 girls aged between 7 and 12 years were analyzed for this study. 49.1% of the participated children reported their backpacks were felt heavy, and the weights of their backpack were grater than 13.3% of their body weight. About 65.4% of students carried greater than 10% of their body weights. The weight of the backpack showed significant positive relationship with shoulder pain but not with their back pain. The results of this study suggested that overweighed backpack could cause the musculoskeletal pain to the elementary school students. Therefore, an effective backpack safety program for parents and students is necessary to educate them how to prevent possible musculosketal pain related to the weight of backpack within the perspective of the ergonomical approach.