Weight of School Bags and its Relationship with Musculoskeletal Disorders in Elementary School Students of Kerman, Iran in 2014

Background: Heavy school bags increase students’ musculoskeletal disorders. According to instructions, weight of school bags should not exceed 10% of students’ body weight. This study aimed at investigating the ratio of school bags weight to students’ body weight and evaluating the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 723 students were selected from six elementary schools in Kerman. Such information as the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and demographic characteristics were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. Results: The highest prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was related to shoulders, neck, and waist. Indeed, weight of 50.1% of students’ bags was over 10% of their body weight. The results showed a significant relationship between the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and school bags’ weight to students’ weight ratio (P = 0.03). Additionally, such disorders were significantly more frequent among students of higher grades. Conclusions: This study revealed a significant relationship between school bags’ weight and musculoskeletal disorders.