Correlation between school material transportation and postural changes in elementary school students

Abstract

Postural problems in young people begin during the growth phase and may be correlated with the transport of school materials, since the excessive weight of backpacks generates mechanical overload on the body, leading young people to a high effort overload, triggering muscle imbalance and pain. In this context, the present study aimed to verify the correlation between transporting school materials and postural changes in young people in elementary school. This is a cross-sectional analytical study. The sample selection included 13 elementary school students, aged between 10 and 12 years old. These students had total body mass and height measured, answered an anamnesis, underwent a postural assessment and, finally, were asked about transporting school supplies, including identifying the weight of the backpack they were carrying. The data was subjected to a descriptive statistical analysis, including calculations of mean, standard deviation and percentages to characterize the variables. Furthermore, the Pearson test was performed to evaluate the correlation between postural changes and the transport of school materials. The results revealed that 76.92% of students reported back pain, as well as changes in posture. Additionally, 69.23% do not practice physical exercise, and 84.62% said they felt tired when carrying school supplies. Factors such as age, gender, height, BMI and physical activity can influence the onset of back pain. This can be justified by the correlation between weight and BMI (r=0.933; p=0.001), sex and height (r=-0.607; p=0.036), weight and sex (r=-0.576; p=0.049), and weight and height (r=0.698; p=0.012). Therefore, we conclude that physical inactivity and inadequate transport of school material can contribute to changes in posture, with these factors being influenced by the age group, weight and height of the individuals.