Guidelines for schoolbag carriage: An appraisal of safe load limits for schoolbag weight and duration of carriage

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is no global agreement on a schoolbag weight limit and little assessment of its utility. The duration of carriage is another factor yet there is no previous systematic assessment of the utility of cut-off values for it in identifying schoolbag-related discomfort. OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to establish if there was a threshold for musculoskeletal discomfort based on (i) percentage bodyweight (% BW) of the schoolbag; (ii) duration of carriage; or (iii) combined % BW and duration. METHODS: Using data from 462 primary school children, a novel experimental approach was used to explore the utility of conventional schoolbag weight limit guidelines and duration of carriage. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to examine the predictive performance of schoolbag weight and duration of carriage. RESULTS: The mean schoolbag weight (4.8±1.43kg) represented a mean 12.4±4.18% BW. Only 30.7% of the sample carried schoolbags that were≤10% BW. The majority (76%) carried schoolbags to school for≤10 minutes. No % BW, duration of carriage or mechanical burden criterion provided a threshold cut-off point for accurately predicting schoolbag-related discomfort. CONCLUSIONS: Guidelines for safe schoolbag carriage that are based on mechanical factors alone could not be upheld. The association between duration of carriage and back discomfort warrants further investigation.