Heavy bags could affect posture, say health experts

PETALING JAYA: The ideal weight of a school bag should not be more than 10% to 15% of a child’s body weight, said consultant paediatrician Datuk Dr Amar-Singh HSS.

He said this is recommended based on data and studies.

“It is well recognised from data, even in Malaysia, that some children carry heavy school bags. A survey by the Consumer Association of Penang, on more than 200 primary school children, showed that 40% of them were carrying schoolbags that were over 20% of their body weight,” he said.

Citing studies, Dr Amar said children who carry heavy backpacks showed an association with back and shoulder pain, local skin redness and swelling.

“These symptoms reduced or disappeared during the school holidays, suggesting that the bags were the source of the problem. Heavy bags may also change the posture of children when walking,” he said.

“There has, however, been no evidence that heavy backpacks cause structural scoliosis in children; scoliosis is a curvature of the spine that may cause more problems if not treated early,” he added.

He said providing lockers, better planning of lessons to limit the number of books brought each day and using roller bags are some of the measures that can be taken to reduce the weight of school bags.

“School backpacks should have an ergonomic design,” he added.

Agreeing with Dr Amar, Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia president Dr Raj Kumar Maharajah recommended the use of roller bags and bags that can be hand-held.

He said posture could also be affected if a child prefers to carry the backpack on one side of the body.

“I would advise parents to use a roller bag or like those days where we used to use box bags. That is why those in their 40s and 50s have very good posture now,” he said.

Dr Raj Kumar added that the ideal weight of the bags will depend on the child’s build and age.