Prevalence of low Back pain among adolescents in relation to the weight of school bags

Abstract

BackgroundThe association between the weight of school bag and Low Back Pain (LBP) amongst students remains under intense debate worldwide. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of LBP amongst public high school students (14 to 19 years) in Kuwait and to investigate the association between LBP and the weight of school bags.MethodsAn analytical cross-sectional study using multistage cluster random sampling with probability proportional to size was conducted on a total of 950 public high school students from all governorates. Data on LBP were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. A 0–10 Numeric Pain Rating Scale was used to rate the intensity of LBP. The students’ height and weight in addition to the weight of their school bags were measured using appropriate weight and height scales. Logistic regression was used to investigate the association between the weight of school bags and LBP while adjusting for potential confounders.ResultsThe estimated lifetime, 6-month, and 1-month prevalence of LBP were 70.3% (95% CI: 67.30–73.21%), 49.1% (95% CI: 45.83–52.28%), and 30.8% (95% CI: 27.81–33.78%) respectively, with significantly higher prevalence amongst females compared to males (p < 0.001). The absolute weight of school bag was not significantly associated with LBP neither in univariable nor multivariable analysis. The relative weight of school bag (as a percentage of the body weight) was significantly associated with LBP in univariable analysis but not in multivariable analysis. The perceived heaviness of school bag, however, was found to be significantly associated with LBP throughout the analysis (p < 0.001).ConclusionIn conclusion, LBP amongst high school students in Kuwait seems to be very common with a prevalence resembling that of high-income countries. Our data suggest that the perceived heaviness of school bag is far more important than the actual bag weight. Current recommendations about the weight of school bags, which are not supported by evidence, should be revised to take into account the students’ perceived heaviness of school bag.

The association between the weight of schoolbags and low back pain among schoolchildren: A systematic review, meta‐analysis and individual patient data meta‐analysis

“…Sample size of the studies ranged between 55 and 4,813. Three studies included only children (Angarita‐Fonseca et al, ; de Oliveira et al, ; Vidal et al, ), and three studies included only teenagers (Akbar et al, ; Alghamdi et al, ; Noormohammadpour et al, ), while all the others included both children and teenagers. Two studies included only girls (Alghamdi et al, ; Noormohammadpour et al, ) while all the others included both boys and girls.…”

“…Seven studies were included in the IPD meta‐analysis (Akbar et al, ; de Oliveira et al, ; Martínez‐Crespo et al, ; Minghelli et al, ; Mohseni‐Bandpei et al, ; Trevelyan & Legg, ; Vidal et al, ).…”

Vitamin D levels in relation to low back pain during adolescence

“…The questions on LBP were developed after an extensive literature review of studies that investigated LBP among adolescents. The details of the questionnaire, which has been used in previous studies on LBP in high school students in Kuwait, were published previously (13) . In brief, we collected data on the period prevalence of LBP, including the lifetime, 6-month and 1-month prevalence.…”

“…Additionally, LBP is a major contributor to years lived with disability (10) . In adolescents, LBP is a major cause of school absenteeism and loss of educability (11)(12)(13) . LBP in childhood and adolescence is also a significant risk factor for LBP in adulthood, which highlights the importance of prevention at an early age (14) .…”

Chronischer Schmerz bei Kindern und Jugendlichen

“…Entscheidend für das Ausmaß des Leidens sind schmerzbezogene Überzeugungen, Resilienzfaktoren und das damit verbundene Verhalten und Einschränkungen. Akbar et al [4] fanden z. B. heraus, dass rezidivierende Rückenschmerzen bei Schulkindern nicht mit dem absoluten Gewicht des Schulranzens korrelierten, wohl aber mit dem vom Kind geschätzten Gewicht.…”