AOTA's National School Backpack Awareness Day
Do
you think the books and school supplies that your child is carrying in a
backpack slung haphazardly
across one shoulder are harmless? Think again. Heavy loads carried by
more than 79 million students across the U.S. can cause low back pain
that often lasts through adulthood. According to the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission, in 2010 nearly 28,000 strains,
sprains, dislocations, and fractures from backpacks were treated in
hospital emergency rooms, physicians’ offices, and clinics.
“A
child wearing a backpack incorrectly or that is too heavy can be
contributing risk factors for discomfort,
fatigue, muscle soreness, and musculoskeletal pain especially in the
lower back,” says Karen Jacobs, EdD, OTR/L, CPE, clinical professor of
occupational therapy at Boston University, and an expert on school
ergonomics and healthy growth and development of school-age
children.
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) urges parents and caregivers to consider the following
when selecting a backpack this school year:
·
Appropriate size. Make sure the height of
the backpack extends from approximately 2 inches below the shoulder blades to waist level, or slightly above the waist.
·
Shoulders. Backpacks should have well-padded
shoulder straps that can be worn on both shoulders so when packed with books, the weight can be evenly balanced by the student.
·
Hip belt. Backpacks with a hip or chest belt
take some strain off sensitive neck and shoulder muscles and improve the student’s balance.
·
Fit.
Just as your child will try on clothes
and shoes when back-to-school shopping, experts say it is important to
try on backpacks, too. “The right fit should be your top criteria when
selecting your child’s backpack,” says Jacobs. “If you order online, be
sure that the seller has a return policy just
in case the backpack is not quite the best fit for your child and needs
to be exchanged.”
When
school is back in session, check that the child’s backpack weighs no
more than 10% of his or her
body weight. If it weighs more, determine what supplies can stay at home
or at school each day to lessen the load. If the backpack is still too
heavy for the child, consider a book bag on wheels.
Thousands of students, educators, parents, and health professionals will mark AOTA’s
National School Backpack Awareness Day today with
backpack weigh-ins, backpack check-ups, activities, and special events. In addition to handouts on Tips
for Purchasing Backpacks, AOTA offers tips for packing and wearing backpacks: 1,
2, 3’s of Basic Backpack Wearing.
To learn more about National School Backpack Awareness Day, visit www.aota.org/backpack.
Our children are not the only ones at risk. Check out the following tip sheets to ensure you are carrying
your purse and other bags in a healthy way:
Backpack Awareness Day is one of the many ways occupational therapy practitioners give back
to their community. Click here
for more information about occupational therapy.
Learn more about Trinity’s Occupational
Therapy Assistant and Master’s
in Occupational Therapy programs!
PUBLISHED / SHARED BY TRINITY WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
PUBLISHED / SHARED BY TRINITY WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
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