It has taken a survey to prove what we’ve known for long: that our children’s stoops have more to do with heavy schoolbag than a lack of concern for a good posture.
It has taken a survey to prove what we’ve known for long: that our children’s stoops have more to do with heavy schoolbag than a lack of concern for a good posture. Mumbaikars, though, have more to worry about. For, Mumbai has the second highest number of cases — pipped by Delhi — of children complaining of backaches due to heavy schoolbags.
According to a survey conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) under its Social Development Foundation, over 79% of the city’s children in the age group of 5-12 carry more than 35% of their weight on their backs. The Children’s Schoolbag Act, 2006, had provisioned that students shouldn’t be allowed to carry more than 10% of their body weight on their backs. This “excess load” has raised the risk of an early onset of back pain and stress.
The survey showed that nearly 58% of children below the age of 10 across the country are suffering from mild back pains, which can develop into chronic pains and later, lead a hunchback. Also, around 1,500 students below the age of 12 could not sit without a slouch and suffered from orthopaedic problems. A total of 40% of children surveyed is physically inactive.
“Excessive and uneven loads have been linked to an increased risk of back trouble and deformation of the spine. Stress from such excess weights may affect the growth of the musculoskeletal system. If children start getting back pains at such a young age, then there is the possibility that they will have it for the next 70-80 years,” explained Dr B K Rao, chairman of ASSOCHAM’s health committee.
More girls than boys bear the brunt of a heavy schoolbag, with complications manifesting themselves in back pains with age. Among students surveyed, those carrying the heaviest backpacks had a 50% higher risk of getting a back pain than those with the lightest, said D S Rawat, secretary general of ASSOCHAM.
A majority of the parents surveyed complained that on an average, their children carry 21 books for a day’s seven to eight periods. Over 78% of them said drawing classes no longer offer respite, as students are required to get not just plain sheets of paper for freehand drawing, but also a textbook with half-drawn images and the complete colour kit. Add to the load skates, taekwondo equipment, a swim bag and a cricket kit every alternate day, and it’s not tough to understand that your child’s frequent complaints of back pain aren’t an excuse to miss school. About 86% of the students said they carry their bags all through the day because either there are no lockers or they are not easily accessible.
Rao suggested that a well-designed backpack and that children should exercise regularly to improve their muscle tone.
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