The Influence of the Schoolbag on Standing Posture of First-Year Elementary School Students

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the mass of a schoolbag on standing posture in first-year elementary school children. First-year elementary school students (n = 76) participated in this study. The data was digitized and analyzed using SkillSpector and Kinovea. Results have shown a change of Center of Gravity (COG) position in all three anatomical planes (p < 0.01), as well as a change in two out of three measured postural angles-craniovertebral (p < 0.01) and craniocervical (p < 0.01) angle. The most important aspect of changed posture, anterior shift of COG, was measured to be 2.4 cm and was in moderate negative correlation with student body mass (-0.4, p < 0.01) and height (-0.4, p < 0.01) when students were encumbered with a schoolbag weighing 16.11% of their body mass, on the average. Also, this study confirms that when encumbered, students' head posture shifts to a more protracted position.