title: Postural habits and weight of backpacks of Portuguese adolescents: Are they associated with scoliosis and low back pain?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The adoption of incorrect postures or carrying overweight backpacks may contribute to the development of musculoskeletal disorders in school children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluated the weight of backpacks and the postural habits adopted in schools by Portuguese adolescents, and their association with scoliosis and low back pain (LBP).
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample comprised 966 Portuguese students, aged between 10 and 16 years. The instruments included a questionnaire to characterize the presence of LBP and the postural habits adopted by students, the weighing of backpacks and a scoliometer to evaluate scoliosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No association was observed between assuming incorrect postures and carrying overweight backpacks, in students with scoliosis. Students who adopted incorrect sitting postures had 1.77 times the risk (95% CI: 1.32-2.36; p < 0.001) of developing LBP; those positioned incorrectly whilst watching TV and playing games had 1.44 times the risk (95% CI: 1.08-1.90; p = 0.012) of developing LBP; and those standing incorrectly had 2.39 the risk (95% CI: 1.52-3.78; p < 0.001) of developing LBP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results revealed that students who sat with the spine positioned wrongly, as well as those who were standing incorrectly, were more likely to present with LBP.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Jean Piaget-Algarve, Piaget Institute, Silves, Portugal.|National School of Public Health, NOVA University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Minghelli
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Kinetics, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: National School of Public Health, NOVA University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nunes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D011187:Posture; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014891:Weight Lifting / Q000293:injuries
keywords: Back disorders; behavioral risk factors; epidemiology; teenagers