Studies show greater awareness is still needed regarding backpack habits as only 4% of parents actively check the weight of student backpacks. Companies could play an important role in spreading this awareness.
CA, USA / October 18, 2018/
Just last month, AOTA (the American Occupational Therapy Association) conducted their annual ‘Backpack Awareness Day’ campaign to give parents advice on how to help their students to properly pack their backpacks, but according to the data we have, it may not be enough.
While 90% of students across the US wear backpacks to school every single day, only 4% of the parents of those students are checking to make sure that those backpacks have been packed correctly and that they aren’t too heavy.
Whilst on the surface this may not seem important, various research studies have found that heavy backpacks are linked to back pain in children and that a worrying number of students are carrying backpacks which may cause damage to their spines and lower backs over time.
According to researchers, a backpack should weigh no more than 10% of the child’s total body weight in order to be safe to carry. To further reduce the strain on the child’s back, it also needs to be packed and worn correctly.
The awareness day gave out free resources to parents and students to help them to do just that, with guides on how to safely pack and wear a backpack.
Unfortunately, the reach of AOTA is limited, and some are suggesting that retailers could use their considerably larger reach to do more to inform their customers about proper backpack habits.
One company which is already doing just that already is
Backpacks Global. Through their website, they provide consumers with free resources which help them to choose the safest backpacks and learn how to wear them safely.
They also provide guidance on finding the best school backpacks, as well as ‘ergonomic backpacks’ - those which are designed to minimize back pain.
Source: Backpacks Global