When it comes to renewing the school material, an article that cannot be missed is the one to transport the material: books, notebooks, lunch, instruments, towel for Physical Education ... Then, the question may arise: Is a backpack or a cart with wheels to take to school better?
The answer is not simple and we anticipate that it will depend on the weight of the backpack or cart and the child and even the characteristics of the route they have to go to school. One thing does seem clearer: because of its structure and design, the cart weighs about 1.6 to 2 kilos more than the backpack.
So pick it up a study entitled "Carts or backpacks in school age" It was based on a sample that included 90 children between the ages of 8 and 10, mothers, teachers and traumatologists. And concludes the following:
Children carry excessive weight, difficult to justify. In most cases, the transported weight is usually greater than 10% of the student's weight, a fact that can harm him physically (especially with back problems), as has been shown in several studies.
If the weight to be transported is low, it would be convenient to use the backpack well adjusted to the column.
If the weight is greater than 3 or 4 kilograms, it should be transported with a cart adapted to the child's height, pushed forward and not dragged.
There is a great lack of information on the part of teachers on this subject and a great disorganization of schoolchildren regarding the material they need every day.
What physiotherapists say
Also in this same work, published in the journal "Physiotherapy", it is indicated what physiotherapists recommend regarding school bags or carts with wheels:
Backpack to avoid the inconveniences that cities represent (works, curbs, uneven terrain, etc.) that make it difficult to carry a cart.
Cart when it is necessary to transport a lot of weight. Also if it is used correctly, that is, being pushed instead of dragging.
In addition, they point out that 100% of the traumatologists interviewed stated that they had received consultations from children between the ages of 6 and 14 who came for spinal problems. Back problems are increasingly common among children.
In its conclusions this work also indicates that it is not clear which is the most convenient mode of transport, although most traumatologists agree that when the weight is not very high it is best to use a backpack placed on both shoulders. When the load is excessive they recommend the use of the cart, even if it is dragged, but taking into account that for a correct transport the most advisable thing is to push it.
Backpacks or carts according to pediatricians
For its part, the Spanish Association of Pediatrics warns of the dangers of carrying school bags too much or of carrying them incorrectly and it is generally recommended that the total weight of the backpack does not exceed 15% of the child's weight. But, if this is not possible, you can also use a cart with wheels. This is what the AEP tells us about it:
You can also use the backpacks with wheels, although you have to take into account that if you travel on uneven terrain or if there are stairs, they can be uncomfortable.
I will not influence the root of the problem (I already did it here) and that is that the children carry too much weight to school, and from school to home, five days a week. There are ways to keep this from happening like this, but it is difficult for them to be carried out, you just have to see that, as the study cited above proved, parents and teachers, society in general, we are not aware of the risk that It involves so much weight.
That is why a postural hygiene education is necessary, with advertising campaigns, talks or conferences, workshops ... as well as more studies on the physical effects of the continued use of the cart, which has not been evaluated as widely as the case of school bags.
One last point, so that it does not go unnoticed, and since I do not usually see many children who carry the cart like this: school carts with wheels should be pushed and not dragged. The backpacks, with the weight well distributed and on the two shoulders of the child. And here it is necessary to review the school supplies they need to not transport more than necessary.
Backpack or cart with wheels, it is not clear which one is better. It depends on the cases. With a lot of weight, better carts according to physiotherapists. Your children, how do they take their material to school? Have you encountered excessively loaded backpacks or carts?
Photos | iStock
Via | Physiotherapy Magazine
In Babies and more | What is the maximum weight my child should carry in the backpack? Better a well-used school bag than a cart
