Dr. Parang Mehta's website
Online since 2001

Heavy Schoolbags/ Backpacks

Dr. Parang Mehta, MD.

All over the world, parents, doctors, and educationists are worrying about the weight that children have to carry, and the effect it has on their backs, shoulders, and general health.  Children leave home in the morning carrying, books, notebooks, stationery, water, lunch, gym shoes, sports equipment, sometimes a change of clothes -- whew!

Parents often don't realise the magnitude of the problem.  Water alone weighs a kilogram a liter.  Books, raquets, lunchboxes, etc all add to the backpack weight.  Children often carry huge burdens, and it is no wonder that so many of them have aching backs and shoulders.

Is the bag too heavy?

• If the child needs help to lift it onto the shoulders.
• If the child leans forward when walking with it.
• If the child pants for breath after walking a short distance with the bag.
• If the child complains of shoulder and back aches and pains.

Problems Caused By Heavy Bags

Lifting heavy burdens for a long time or distance isn't good for anyone, least of all children.  A recent study found that half of the schoolchildren studied had pain in the back or shoulders.  The researchers also found that children in lower grades carried heavier bags.

Carrying a heavy bag on the back causes forward leaning and bad posture, which can lead to improper weight bearing on the spine, and pains and aches in the back and shoulders.  Carrying a backpack weighing 15% of body weight makes a child or adolescent unable to maintain proper standing posture.  Children could get into bad habits like poor posture and slouching.

Forward bending at the back (also called kyphotic posture) makes the work of breathing harder.  Children carrying bags weighing more than 10% of their body weight have been found to have poorer lung function.

Children who use one strap bags (which put weight on one shoulder only) have particular problems.  These bags cause sideways deviation of the spine (scoliosis) because of the asymmetric weight distribution, and this can cause long lasting back aches and damage.

Strategies to Spare the Back

• Children should be able to leave sports equipment and some books and notebooks in school.  Provision of lockers is a great help.
• If there are two sets of textbooks, one set each can be kept in school and at home.  
• Students should know in advance which books will be needed that day, and which can be left at home.
• The bag should be put down when waiting at the bus stop, in the assembly, etc.

Schoolbag Precautions

• A child should not carry more than 10% of his own weight on the back for a prolonged period.  The schoolbag of an 8 year old weighing 30 Kg should weigh 3 Kg or less.
• Choose a schoolbag with broad, padded straps.  Narrow straps can squeeze nerves or blood vessels, and also chafe the skin.
• Satchels and bags with one strap cause asymmetrical distribution of weight on the spine.  This can lead to long term back pain and other problems.
• The child should always use both straps of the school bag.  Slinging the bag over one shoulder causes spine damage.
• Bend at the knees with the back straight when lifting the bag.  Lift with the legs, not the back.

Last Revision: May 20, 2020

About the author

About Dr. Parang Mehta

Childhood Problems

Full list of articles at bottom of page

Contact Information

Dr. Parang Mehta,
Mehta Childcare,
Opposite Putli, Sagrampura,
Surat, India.
Tel: +91 9429486624.
Email:

Home