Development of a holistic backpack-back pain model for school children

Abstract

Back pain among school children using backpacks is still a problem and generating interest from academia. Most research has been limited in scope. While some researchers carried out experimental investigations using biomechanical and physiological principles, others based their research on psychosocial issues. The inability to recognize the complexity of factors that affect this issue may explain why conflicting results have been obtained by different researchers. Presently, a general recommendation for a backpack weight of 10–15% of body weight has been accepted as a standard. But recent findings still indicate back pain among backpack users in schools. The purpose of this paper was to develop a holistic backpack-back pain model that is based on concurrent research, including: biomechanics, psychosocial and physiological factors. A systematic approach was taken in evaluating relationships among the various factors thereby proposing a model that can serve as a tool for evaluating contextual issues involving backpack design and use and back pain.