Overloaded Backpacks Pose Health Risk to Young Girls

Experts with the University of Washington in St. Louis and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission have confirmed what some students have been saying for generations: School can be a real pain in the neck.

According to a recent CPSC report, 7,000 students suffered back and neck injuries resulting from overloaded backpacks last year. Dr. Matthew Dobbs, an orthopedic surgeon with the Washington University School of Medicine, says the risk of injury is greatest for young girls.

"Adolescent girls ages 11 to 16 are most at risk, which may be attributed to the rapid growth spurt they experience during this age range and the susceptibility of rapidly growing spines to back pain," Dobbs said in a July 11 university press release. "In addition, girls often weigh less than boys, but still carry the same amount of backpack weight."

Dobbs also cited statistics in the release indicating that as many as 50 percent of all students complain of backpack-related pain, with 10 percent of students missing school or extracurricular activities because of injuries related to backpacks.

Though orthopedic experts advise that children should avoid carrying backpacks that weigh more than 15 percent of their body weight (for example, a 115-pound student shouldn't have a pack that weights more than 17 pounds), studies have found that the average student is lugging around a pack equal to 20 percent of her weight.

To help offset the potential for backpack-related pain and injuries, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents help their children pick out packs with the following features:

• Light weight - That leather one may look cooler, but a canvas pack will be a lot lighter, and thus less likely to put added strain on your student's neck and back.


• Two wide, padded shoulder straps - Narrow straps can dig into the shoulders, and slinging the pack over just one shoulder can put extra pressure on the body as it attempts to balance the heavy load.


• A padded back - In addition to being more comfortable, extra padding offers extra protection from sharp edges on objects being transported in the pack.


• A waist belt - As any outdoor backpacker knows, strapping the pack with a weight belt ensures that the pack's weight is more evenly distributed across the body.


• Multiple compartments - Though this would seem to be merely an organizational feature, packs that contain multiple compartments also encourage a more even weight distribution, which means that more muscles can help bear the burden.