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Effect of backpack fit on lung function.

S Bygrave1, S J Legg, S Myers

  • 1Centre for Human Sciences, QinetiQ, Farnborough, Hampshire, UK.

Ergonomics
|December 12, 2003
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Wearing a backpack, even loosely fitted, restricts lung function. Tightening backpack straps significantly worsens these restrictive lung changes, impacting breathing capacity.

Area of Science:

  • Physiology
  • Biomechanics
  • Pulmonary Medicine

Background:

  • Backpack use can alter lung function, but the specific impact of harness fit versus load weight is unclear.
  • Previous research suggests a restrictive pattern of lung function changes with loaded backpacks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of backpack harness tightness on lung function in healthy males.
  • To differentiate the impact of pack fit from the load's weight on respiratory mechanics.

Main Methods:

  • 12 healthy males performed spirometry (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC%, PEF, FEF0.2-1.2, FEF25-75%) under three conditions: no pack, loose pack fit (LPF), and tight pack fit (TPF) with a 15 kg load.
  • Pack fit was adjusted by 3 cm for LPF (loosened) and TPF (tightened) relative to a comfort fit (CF).

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Both LPF and TPF significantly reduced Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1) compared to no pack.
  • TPF resulted in significantly greater reductions in FVC, FEV1, and FEF25-75% compared to LPF.
  • Tight pack fit also significantly reduced forced expiratory flow between 0.2 and 1.2 seconds (FEF0.2-1.2), indicating reduced expiratory flow at lower lung volumes.

Conclusions:

  • Tightening backpack harness fit significantly exacerbates restrictive lung function changes.
  • The effects of pack fit are additive to the load's weight and can impair expiratory flow, particularly at low lung volumes.