The Association of Individual Physical and Psychosocial Factors with School Bag Carriage Related Musculoskeletal Discomfort and Pain in Primary School Children Srivastava P Swati1,*, Buckshee Ruchi Nagar2 1Lecturer, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India 2Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India *Corresponding author: Dr. Swati Srivastava Lecturer, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India, Mobile number-09205541476 Email id- swati.shrivastava1990@gmail.com
Online published on 12 January, 2018. Abstract Background, objectives and study design There is little literature, regarding the association of different physical and psychosocial factors with school bag related musculoskeletal discomfort and pain in primary school children. Hence, a need is felt to establish multi-factorial association with the presence of school bag carriage related musculoskeletal discomfort and pain in Indian context Methodology A cross-sectional survey design was used. Objective measurements of the children, schoolbags and other additional items were made. The sample of 119 children in the age group of 9–11 years was analyzed on the basis of different factors and their associated musculoskeletal discomfort. Data of each child was taken thrice to improve the authenticity of the result. They were assessed using the following outcome measures. Visual analogue scale (VAS) Body Discomfort chart (BDC) Strength and Difficulty questionnaire (SDQ) Researcher's Assisted Questionnaire
Results Among all children, 64% (n= 76) had discomfort in different body parts and 36% (n=43) had no discomfort. It was found that there is increase in intensity of pain on VAS and the result was highly significant (p=0.00). When children's bag weight were analyzed, it was found that none of children had bag weight less than 10% of their body weight. SDQ scale was used for analyzing the psychosocial factor and emotional wellbeing in the children. Among children who were abnormal on the SDQ scoring, all of them (100%) had discomfort. Conclusion All the sample children had carried more bag weight than recommended school bag limit of 10% of body weight. On BDC most of the children reported shoulder and back pain. Children had increased intensity of pain after carrying the bag to the school. Overweighted children were associated with musculoskeletal pain greater than healthy weight children. Psychosocial factors were also strong predictors of musculoskeletal discomfort. Top Keywords Primary School Children, School bag weight, Musculoskeletal discomfort, Musculoskeletal Pain, Multiple factorial association. Top |