Abstract
Background: Schoolchildren usually use school bags to carry their school materials. Carrying heavy school bags can cause several problems such as musculoskeletal problems among schoolchildren. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the weight of school bags and the occurrence of low back, shoulder and hand/wrist symptoms among primary school children. Method: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted among a sample of 307 elementary school children in Tabriz, Iran. Data were collected using a questionnaire and from measurement of the school bag weight, body weight and height of each participant. Data were analysed using SPSS software. Results: The average load carried by schoolchildren was 2.9 kg, representing approximately 10% of the children's body weight. Girls and lower grade children carried a greater percentage of their body weights. Approximately 86% of the children reported some kind of musculoskeletal symptoms. The occurrence of shoulder, wrists/hands, and low back pain among schoolchildren was 70%, 18.5% and 8.7%, respectively. The results of binary logistic regression indicated that the school bag weight (expressed as a percentage of body weight) was only significantly associated with hand/wrist symptoms (P<0.05). Girls were more likely to complaint from low back pain than boys were. Age was significantly negatively associated with hand/wrist symptoms. Body mass index was also significantly associated with shoulder symptoms. Conclusion: The results indicate a high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among elementary schoolchildren. Preventive measures and appropriate guidelines with regard to safe load carriage in schoolchildren are therefore needed to protect this age group.