Parents' knowledge and attitudes when choosing their children's school bag: An introductory study

Background/Aim: A school bag is a device whose purpose is to store things that are necessary for a child in performing daily productive activities. The aim of the research was to examine how much parents are informed about the school bag and which specifications are crucial when choosing a school bag for their children. Material and methods: The prospective study included 150 parents of students aged 11 to 12 from Banja Luka. For the purposes of the research, a questionnaire with closed and open questions was used. Results: More than 97 % of the surveyed parents belonged to the age range of 30 to 49 years. The largest number of surveyed parents have had secondary education 44 %, but the number of university-educated parents was also very high 39.3 %. Ninety-six percent of students used a backpack. School bags in 97.4 % of cases were purchased in stores. Only in 10 % of cases, school bags fully meet the basic criteria. In the remaining 90 % of cases, there was an absence of at least one or more desired characteristics. Using the Chi-squared test (ch2 = 245.45; p < 0.001), a significant difference between the desired and the achieved result was statistically proven. 77.3 % of parents did not receive information about the school bag. Salespeople (11.3 %), other parents and friends (9.3 %) were the main source of information before purchasing a school bag. In the future, 54 % of parents would like to get information about the school bag through lectures and practical workshops for children and parents. Conclusion: Greater information enables adequate selection and reduces the possibility of marketing tricks and influences on consumers when choosing the desired product such as a school bag. Parents have an important role to play in ensuring unhindered growth and development during the educational process and in raising children's awareness and supervision of the proper use of the school bag.

Ergonomic factors of school bags and their adaptation to the weight of students

BACKGROUND

Students use a school bag to carry their school supplies which may not have the required standards and ergonomic factors.

OBJECTIVE

This study was aimed to examine the ergonomic factors of schoolbags and their adaptation to the weight of elementary school students.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was carried out on 721 primary schoolchildren. To collecting data a checklist, which its final version was approved by the experts, was designed by researchers. Data were analyzed by using SPSS ver. 22 and Chi-square test, One-Way ANOVA, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.

RESULTS

In this study, about 90.1% of students used a backpack to carry their items and most students carried backpacks with a weight up to 10% of their body weight. In 43.5% of the students, waist width was appropriate with backpack width at the bottom, and in 96.6% shoulder width was appropriate with backpack width at the top. Multivariate logistic regression showed that girls in compared to boys were more likely tolerated ratio of backpack weight to body weight, and also had more likely proportion of waist width and the backpack width at the bottom. The grades of the first, second, and fourth used more heavy backpacks. Students who their mothers were employee compared to housewives, carried heavier backpacks and had more likely proportion of waist width and the backpack width at the bottom. As the mother's age increased, the proportion of waist width and the backpack width at the bottom is diminished.

CONCLUSION

The schoolbags weight of many students was more than the standard weight, and their schoolbags did not have the required standards. Educational interventions can increase the knowledge of students and parents about the ideal weight of a schoolbag and the criteria for choosing a proper school bag.

Relationship between School Backpacks and Musculoskeletal Pain in Children 8 to 10 Years of Age: An Observational, Cross-Sectional and Analytical Study

Back pain in children is a reality and various factors are involved in its etiology. The study’s aim was to analyze the relationship between the use and type of backpack and pain in children. An analytical observational cross-sectional study was conducted among 123 schoolchildren between 8–10 years. Data on the participants’ weight and height and their backpacks were collected, as well as the way of travel to school and their physical activity during the week. The results indicated that all backpacks were large because the backpack’s height is longer than torso length. Participants who studied in a traditional educational system (62.60%) carried backpacks that exceeded 10% of their body weight. Additionally, 31.7% of the students presented pain. There is no significant correlation between the weight or type of backpack and the pressure pain threshold collected from shoulders muscles. Participants who carried backpacks heavier than 10% of their body weight did not have more musculoskeletal pain or a lower pressure pain threshold than the others, although they did report greater fatigue. All these topics should be debated considering the student’s social environment and the backpack’s discomfort to the children, even though no relationship was found between musculoskeletal pain and backpack weight.

Back Pain and Schoolbags among Adolescents in Abha City, Southwestern Saudi Arabia

The incorrect carriage of schoolbags and heavy bags may result in back pain (BP) in adolescents. Our objective was to assess the problem of BP and associated factors among adolescents. This was a cross-sectional study targeting intermediate and secondary school adolescents in Abha City, Saudi Arabia. An anonymous questionnaire for BP was used. Student body weight and the weight of their full schoolbag were measured. The study included 876 adolescents. An overall prevalence of BP of 39.4% (95% CI: 35.3-43.7) was found. Upper BP (UBP), middle BP (MBP), and lower BP (LBP) amounted to 14.5%, 13.4%, and 11.5%, respectively. Associated significant factors with MBP were carrying the bag on one side compared to on the back (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.20-3.73) and being at intermediate level compared to secondary (aOR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.04-2.40). On the other hand, gender and schoolbag weight/body weight percent were not found to be significantly associated with MBP. None of the studied factors were significantly associated with overall BP, UBP, or LBP. BP is a prevalent among adolescents in southwest Saudi Arabia. One-sided schoolbag carriage is a significant associated factor for middle back pain. Parents and teachers should encourage students to consider the correct way to carry schoolbag.

Effects of carrying school bags on cervical and shoulder posture in static and dynamic conditions in adolescent students

Background Neck and Back Pain in Students is closely related to the school bags that they carry. There is a dearth of literature in terms of postural changes due to school bags in adolescents, especially those discussing postural changes in static and dynamic loading conditions. Objective To assess the effects of weight, position, and time of school bag carriage in static and dynamic conditions on cervical and shoulder posture in adolescent students. Subjects Seventy adolescents (35 Females, 35 Males) between 10 and 15 years of age. Methods: Craniohorizontal Angle, Craniovertebral Angle, Sagittal Shoulder Posture, Anterior Head Alignment were assessed in 7 different conditions using Photographic Method and MB Ruler. Results and Conclusion Significant changes in Sagittal Shoulder Posture and Craniohorizontal Angle were found with unilateral school bag carriage as compared to minimal significant postural changes with bilateral carriage. Maximal significant postural changes, in terms of all outcome measures were noted during loaded dynamic activity. Craniovertebral Angle kept significantly reducing with time. Immediate assessments taken with a school bag weighing 13.5% of the body weight showed a significant decrement in the Craniohorizontal Angle. Even a bag weighing less than 10% of the body weight proved to bring about biomechanical changes, when assessments were taken during the activities that a child has to perform with a school bag (Post Standing, Post Walking, and During Walking).

Assessment of perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes of parents regarding children's schoolbags and related musculoskeletal health

Background

Heavy schoolbags and their adverse musculoskeletal effects are a cause of great concern. Parents’ awareness and knowledge about this are crucial to prevent such health problems. Thus, this study aimed to assess parents’ perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes regarding children’s schoolbags and related musculoskeletal health.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted targeting parents with children of school age. In January 2015, a self-administered, validated questionnaire was distributed to all participants, consisting of questions about their awareness, knowledge, and attitude regarding the negative effects of carrying inappropriate schoolbags on children’s musculoskeletal health.

Result

A total of 616 parents (284 fathers and 332 mothers) completed the questionnaire (response rate of 100%). A total of 247 (87.3%) fathers and 301 (90.9%) mothers knew that carrying heavy schoolbags produces back problems. However, only 105 (36.9%) fathers and 107 (37.6%) mothers knew that incorrect schoolbag weight and inadequate way to carry it may impede the normal alignment and growth of the spine. Only 107 (37.6%) fathers and 96 (28.9%) mothers knew the ideal weight of the schoolbag, while 49.6% of fathers and 42.8% of mothers did not check their children’s schoolbags for unnecessary contents.

Conclusion

Awareness of parents about the consequences of heavy schoolbags and correct use is still limited and suboptimal. Educational sessions for parents and awareness campaigns may help to reduce the prevalence of musculoskeletal health problems among children.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13018-019-1142-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Multigroup latent class model of musculoskeletal pain combinations in children/adolescents: identifying high-risk groups by gender and age

Background

To investigate the combinations of Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) (neck, shoulder, upper and low back pain) among a sample of Iranian school children.

Methods

The MSP combinations was modeled by latent class analysis (LCA) to find the clusters of high–risk individuals and multigroup LCA taking into account the gender and age (≤ 13 years and ≥ 14 years of age categories).

Results

The lowest and highest prevalence of MSP was 14.2% (shoulder pain in boys aged ≥14 years) and 40.4% (low back pain in boys aged ≤13 years), respectively. The likelihood of synchronized neck and low back pain (9.4–17.7%) was highest, while synchronized shoulder and upper back pain (4.5–9.4%) had the lowest probability. The probability of pain at three and four locations was significantly lower in boys aged ≥14 years than in other gender–age categories. The LCA divided the children into minor, moderate, and major pain classes. The likelihood of shoulder and upper back pain in the major pain class was higher in boys than in girls, while the likelihood of neck pain in the moderate pain class and low back pain in the major pain class were higher in children aged ≥14 years than those aged ≤13 years. Gender–age specific clustering indicated a higher likelihood of experiencing major pain in children aged ≤13 years.

Conclusions

The findings highlight the importance of gender– and age–specific data for a more detailed understanding of the MSP combinations in children and adolescents, and identifying high-risk clusters in this regard.

Parental awareness of schoolbag carriage: A comparative study of Irish and United States parents

BACKGROUND

Given the global nature of schoolbag carriage, there has been extensive research on schoolbag weight and use with resultant guidance on many aspects of carrying a schoolbag. However, there is limited evidence of knowledge translation or parents' awareness of schoolbag carriage.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated parental awareness of factors related to schoolbag carriage.

METHOD

A cross-sectional survey using an anonymous 30-item questionnaire and purposive sampling was used. Questionnaires were distributed to parents of primary school children through the schools. Descriptive statistics of frequencies and percentages were used and associations were tested using Chi-square analysis in SPSS v23.

RESULTS

A total of 700 parents in Ireland (Ire) and the United States (US) participated in the study (n = 444 [Ire] and n = 256 [US]). Generally, parents had satisfactory awareness of appropriate schoolbag type and carriage. The majority of children owned a backpack (89.9% [Ire] vs. 93.7% [US]), although fewer parents considered this to be the most suitable bag for their child (69.6% [Ire] vs. 88.2% [US]). More Irish parents (29.2%) favoured a wheeled schoolbag compared to US parents (6.2%) (p < 0.001). The majority (70.8% [Ire] vs. 55.7% [US]) wanted more information. The preferred platforms for receiving information were a handout (78.1% [Ire] vs. 71.6% [US]) and on-line (44.6% [Ire] vs. 53.9% [US]).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite gaps identified, parents had good awareness of factors relating to schoolbag carriage, but this study shows that they would like more information. The preferred platform for knowledge translation was a handout. Parents are the best advocates for safety promotion and represent the group most likely to improve schoolbag carriage among children.

Musculoskeletal symptoms among handicraft workers engaged in hand sewing tasks

Objectives:

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and associated risk factors among Iranian handicraft workers engaged in different hand sewing tasks.

Methods:

Data were collected using questionnaires (including the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire) as well as direct observations of posture (using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment [RULA] method) from 632 workers including carpet handicraft workers (n=222), textiles handicraft workers (n=209), and leather handicraft workers (n=201) in Tabriz, Iran.

Results:

The response rate was 88.8%. The overall prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints, particularly in the neck (57.9%), lower back (51.6%), and shoulders (40.5%) was relatively high. The prevalence of neck and shoulder pain was higher among females and with increasing age. Working posture and fast working were associated with neck, shoulder, and lower back pain. Years worked as a sewing worker was associated with neck and lower back pain. Long duration of continuous sitting work (>2 h) without a break was associated with neck pain. Body mass index, marital status, sport/physical activity, smoking, daily working hours, job satisfaction, and perceived pressure due to work had no effect.

Conclusions:

The findings indicate a high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among the studied handicraft workers and emphasize the importance of individual, physical, and psychosocial aspects of hand sewing tasks in this regard.

Association of individual and work-related risk factors with musculoskeletal symptoms among Iranian sewing machine operators

This cross-sectional study evaluated working conditions and the occurrence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms among 251 Iranian sewing machine operators. A questionnaire and direct observations of working postures using the rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) method were used. A high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms, particularly in the neck/shoulders, back and hands/wrists were found. The mean RULA grand score of 5.7 highlighted a poor sewing workstation design and indicated that most operators (with posture assessed at action level 3) needed an investigation and changes in their working habits soon. Work-related factors (including number of years worked as an operator, prolonged working hours per shift, long duration of sitting work without a break, feeling pressure due to work and working postures) and individual factors (including age, gender, BMI and regular sport/physical activities) were associated with musculoskeletal symptoms in multiple logistic regression models. The findings add to the understanding of working conditions of those jobs involving sewing activities and emphasise the need for ergonomic interventions to reduce musculoskeletal symptoms in the future.

Current Backpack Weight Status for Primary Schoolchildren in Colima, Mexico

The purpose of the study was to identify the current status of backpack weight in primary schoolchildren in Colima, Mexico, in relation to gender, school grade level, and body mass index. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 240 randomly selected children from 20 primary schools. The participating children's parents signed statements of informed consent. Descriptive statistics, the χ(2) test, Student's t-test, and Kruskal-Wallis test were used. The mean age was 8.55 ± 2 years (range: 5-12 years). Seventy-eight percent of the schoolchildren presented with a backpack overload that was greater than 10% of their body weight. No significant differences were found in relation to gender. Four out of every five schoolchildren presented with backpack overload, exposing them to a potential health problem. Education and public policy prevention strategies for this situation should be implemented in Mexico and other regions of the world with the same problem.