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Related Experiment Videos

Adolescent standing postural response to backpack loads: a randomised controlled experimental study.

Karen Grimmer1, Brenton Dansie, Steve Milanese

  • 1Centre for Allied Health Research, University of South Australia City East Campus, North Terrace, Adelaide 5000, Australia. karen.grimmer@unisa.edu.au

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
|April 19, 2002
PubMed
Summary

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Wearing school backpacks high on the back alters adolescent posture. Positioning backpacks at waist or hip level is recommended, and the 10% body weight load limit lacks evidence.

Area of Science:

  • Biomechanical analysis of posture
  • Adolescent spinal health
  • Ergonomics of school backpacks

Background:

  • Poor standing posture is linked to spinal pain.
  • Limited evidence exists on how backpack load affects spinal tissue injury.
  • Understanding the impact of school backpacks on adolescent posture is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the effect of different school backpack loads and positions on adolescent sagittal plane standing posture.
  • To test the validity of adult recommendations for backpack use: worn high and limited to 10% of body weight.

Main Methods:

  • Randomized controlled experiment with 250 adolescents (12-18 years).
  • Nine conditions combining backpack loads (3-10% body weight) and positions (T7, T12, L3).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Posture quantified via sagittal plane photographs and anatomical point displacement analysis.

    • Main Results:

    • Backpack position significantly impacted posture; higher positions (T7) caused greater forward displacement.
    • Forward displacement of anatomical points increased linearly with backpack load.
    • Age and gender did not significantly affect postural response.

    Conclusions:

    • Evidence refutes the 'rule-of-thumb' to wear backpacks high on the back.
    • Optimal backpack positioning for adolescents is at waist or hip level.
    • The 10% body weight load limit for backpacks is not supported by evidence.