Poorly designed, overstuffed backpacks could set children up for back problems
By Wayne Specht, Misawa
bureau chief
Wayne Specht / Stars and Stripes
Lt. Leslie Hair, a Navy physical therapist at Misawa Air Base, Japan, says wide,
padded straps on backpacks help distribute weight evenly, and when worn correctly
may help avoid potential back problems later in life. |
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — From Navy Lt. Leslie Hair’s
vantage point — an office at Misawa’s Sollars Elementary School — he sees
potentially harmful futures for some children.
They’re wearing backpacks incorrectly.
“When I was growing up, wearing a backpack slung over one
shoulder seemed cool because we didn’t know better. Over time, it sets up children
for problems later in life,” says Hair, a physical therapist with the Educational and
Developmental Intervention Services program here.
Hair says a common problem with today’s backpacks is that
children overload them with too many books and other items.
“A general rule is the pack should carry no more than 15
[percent] to 20 percent of the child’s body weight; that’s what the American
Physical Therapy Association recommends,” he said.
Overloaded backpacks cause children to lean forward to compensate for
the added weight and, Hair said, cause rounded shoulders that could hinder good posture.
“Maybe teachers should not give out so much homework if it means
taking home a lot of books,” Hair suggests. “Perhaps worksheets can be
substituted.”
While the majority of backpacks sold are well-engineered, Hair said
there are certain features parents should look for when shopping for one.
Wide, padded back straps help make the pack comfortable, and some
packs feature chest straps.
“Chest straps are very good for helping to stabilize the pack
while walking,” Hair said.
Size is another consideration.
“If you can’t see your child’s shoulders from behind,
the pack is too large; get a smaller one,” he added.
Hair said some mail-order catalogs, such as a new one from L.L. Bean,
provide customers with charts showing recommended sizes based on ages, and suggest how to
wear them properly.
Hair doesn’t recommend satchel-type book bags because kids wear
them slung over one shoulder, which causes overloading and imbalance problems.
“Instead of carrying everything all day long, students who have
access to lockers should visit them several times daily to unload things from their
backpacks,” Hair said. “That would be helpful, too.”
Hair pulls occasional duty at Misawa’s Air Force hospital, where
he said he has seen children with developing back problems thanks to improperly worn
backpacks that can bring bigger problems.
“Over time, curves can form in the lumbar and thoracic portions
of the upper and lower back,” he said.
Along with parental emphasis, wearing backpacks correctly is largely
a matter of common sense.
“They have two straps, so children should wear both of
them,” Hair said. “Parents should tell them that at home.”
Hair said he hopes to meet with teachers and administrators during
in-service instructional days to explain pitfalls of incorrect backpack wear.
But asking teachers to give out less homework could be something of a
challenge.
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