Perceived school bag load, duration of carriage, and method of transport to school are associated with spinal pain in adolescents: an observational study.
OBJECTIVE
Are use and perceived load of school bags and the prevalence of spinal pain different between male and female adolescents? Is use of school bags related to perceived load of school bags? Are use and perceived load of school bags related to spinal pain?


METHODS
Cross-sectional observational study.


METHODS
1202 adolescents recruited from the 'Raine' Cohort Study.


METHODS
Use and perceived load of school bags as well as spinal pain were measured by questionnaire.


RESULTS
The prevalence of back and neck pain was approximately 50%; 53% of females reported neck pain compared with 44% of males (p < 0.01). Almost half of participants carried their school bag for more than 30 minutes per day with 85% carrying their bag over both shoulders. School bags were felt to be heavy by 54% and to cause fatigue by 51%. Carrying a school bag for more than 30 minutes daily and taking an inactive form of transport to school (car or bus) increased the odds of having both back (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.82) and neck pain (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.91).


CONCLUSIONS
Neck pain is as common as back pain amongst adolescents. Perceived school bag load, duration of carriage and method of transport to school are associated with back and neck pain. Physical activity in the form of walking or riding to school may offset the potentially provocative effects of prolonged bag carriage and warrants further investigation.
Haselgrove
Clare
C
School of Physiotherapy, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.
Straker
Leon
L
Smith
Anne
A
O'Sullivan
Peter
P
Perry
Mark
M
Sloan
Nick
N
D000293:Adolescent; D001416:Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D015995:Prevalence; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013334:Students; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology