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Backpacks and back pain: where's the epidemic?
Eric J Wall1, Susan L Foad, John Spears
1Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Orthopaedics, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA. eric.wall@chmcc.org
Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics
|June 27, 2003
Summary
Most children with severe back pain evaluated by orthopedic specialists do not link their pain to carrying backpacks. While 80% of patients used backpacks, very few attributed their pain to this common school item.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Orthopedics
- Musculoskeletal Health
- Adolescent Health
Background:
- Back pain is a common complaint in children presenting to orthopedic clinics.
- The role of heavy backpacks in pediatric back pain is a frequent concern for parents and healthcare providers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the attribution of back pain to backpack use in school-aged children seeking orthopedic care.
- To determine the prevalence of children linking their back pain to backpack carrying.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of medical records for school-aged patients with back pain.
- Inclusion of 346 patients in the study.
- Follow-up phone survey to assess backpack usage and pain association.
Main Results:
- Only 1 out of 346 patients directly attributed back pain to wearing a backpack.
- Three patients reported backpack use exacerbated their existing back pain.
- A significant majority (80%) of patients used backpacks for school.
Conclusions:
- School-aged children with significant back pain rarely identify backpacks as the primary cause.
- Backpack use is common among these patients, but direct causation is seldom reported.
- Further research may explore multifactorial causes of pediatric back pain.