Frequency of Low Back Pain due to Heavy Bags among School-going Children in Lahore, Pakistan

It is a daily observation to see children carrying heavy bags to and from their schools. The practice may seem harmless but can cause serious health implications in these children as they are in critical stage of their development. These overstuffed bags can be a reason to back, neck and shoulder problems, if not carried properly. The purpose of this study was to find out the frequency of low back pain due to heavy bags among school going children of Lahore, Pakistan. A descriptive study was conducted on 165 students of 5th to 7th class of both public and private schools of Lahore District and sample was selected by no-probability purposive sampling. Out of 165 students, the mean age was 11.78 years (Range 9-16 years 1.17). Mean body weight of a student without carrying bag was 38.21 kg10.21, the mean body weight with school bag was 44.27 Kg10.48 and the mean weight of school bag was 6.06 kg 1.59.69 % students complained pain in there back and shoulder regions, while the frequency of low back pain was 18.2 %, shoulder pain was 38.8 % and of shoulder and upper back was 11.8 %.