Schoolchildren under the age of 16 face the risk of
developing irreversible back deformities if they carry heavy bags, a study has
revealed.
Experts warn that heavy backpacks can interfere with the
spine because such children have not undergone full physical development.
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology Health
Promotion and Sports Science students and scholars conducted the study.
It recommends that children should not carry bags that are
more than 15 per cent of their body weight.
The study was conducted between April and June in 12 public
primary schools in Kakamega county and involved 418 pupils.
Researcher Peter Bukhala said backpack weight, type of bag
and distance travelled determine the levels of damage.
The study found that half of all public primary school
pupils suffer back pain by the age of 14.
Bukhala warned that cases of spinal abnormalities in pupils,
including disfiguring curvatures, are on the rise.
“Parents should be careful because backpacks can affect
their children because they are still in the growth process, and even worse,
the deformity could be permanent,” he said.
The varsity don called for a review of the weights the
pupils carry on their backs to school to ensure the right size and weight.
Bukhala emphasised the need to take children for regular
checkups to ensure complications are dealt with early.
He said the damage may not be noticed until it reaches an
advanced stage.
“If parents are not careful, some of these small problems
can turn into a big problem, which, otherwise, could have been contained at an
early stage,” Bukhala said.
He blamed the rise of back problems among pupils on schools
inability to have adequate desk space for pupils to store heavy books.
This prompts them to carry all their books back home.
“Teachers exacerbate the problem by forcing the pupils to
carry firewood, water and cow dung to school. They reach school tired and do
not concentrate in class. This leads to poor results in exams,” Bukhala added.
