title: Short-term effects of backpack carriage on plantar pressure and gait in schoolchildren.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effects of backpack carriage on plantar pressure distributions and spatio-temporal gait parameters among children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred-eighteen schoolchildren, aged 6-13, and attending primary and secondary schools in the city of Cagliari (Italy).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were tested at school, during regular days. A pressure plate and wearable inertial sensors were used to measure plantar pressures and spatio-temporal parameters of gait. Measures were obtained during both quiet standing and walking, and both with and without a backpack. The latter contained those items a child had on the testing day.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants carried a mean mass in their backpacks of 5.2 kg, and more than half had a backpack/body mass ratio higher than 15%. While spatio-temporal gait parameters were not affected by backpack carriage, significant increases (up to 25%) in plantar pressures were found during both static standing and walking, especially in the forefoot.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Under realistic conditions, the impact of backpack carriage was more evident on foot-ground interaction than on gait features. However, long-term consequences of altered plantar pressure need to be assessed in future work, considering the actual durations typically spent carrying school items.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Electronic address: massimiliano.pau@dimcm.unica.it.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pau
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mandaresu
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leban
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, 521 Whittemore Hall (0118), Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
authors.forename: Maury A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nussbaum
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D064131:Back Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000502:physiology*; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D011312:Pressure / Q000009:adverse effects; D013334:Students; D013997:Time Factors; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000502:physiology; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Backpack; Children; Foot; Gait; Pedobarography; Plantar pressure