The effects of the weight of school supplies carried on the right or left shoulder on postural features in the sagittal and transverse planes in seven-year-old pupils of both genders

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine how the weight of a school backpack with school supplies carried on the right or left shoulder influences body posture in schoolchildren. Methods: The study of body posture was carried out on a group of 65 pupils aged 7, using the mora projection method in the following eight positions: (four positions for the diagonal loading of the right shoulder and four positions for the loading of the left shoulder) 1 – the habitual posture, 2 – the posture after a 10-minute asymmetric loading, 3 – the posture one minute after removing the load and 4 – the posture two minutes after removing the load. The fitness level was measured using the Sekita test. Results: Among the boys, the load on the left or right shoulder showed a statistically significant difference in the analyzed features, apart from the angle of inclination of the lumbosacral segment for the load on the right shoulder. In the girls, significant differences were observed in all of the analyzed features. Conclusions: The mode of carriage of school items may cause significant adaptation changes in the skeletal, muscular, and nervous system. Overall fitness affects the size of postural changes. The method of carriage of school supplies with asymmetric loading of the body trunk should not be practised among 7-year-old children of both sexes. The load should be smaller to affect the posture symmetrically.