IMPACT OF HEAVY SCHOOL BAGS ON PHYSICAL HEALTH OF SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN: A CASE STUDY OF PRIMARY LEVEL SCHOOLS OF DISTRICT LASBELA, PAKISTAN

Growing global attention has centered on the role of school bags in the creation of low back pain in school going children and adolescents. The aim of this study is to find out the association of heavy school bags and incidence of physical pain in children in private schools of primary level students in district Lasbela, Pakistan. The study data was collected from the 120 students and 20 teachers through interviews and distributing questionnaires. The study employed frequency distribution, data visualization, descriptive statistics, chi-square test and ANOVA. It is found that there is a significant association between heavy school bags and occurrence of physical pain (such as neck, shoulders, back pain). The results also confirmed that the mode of carrying school bags and occurrence of physical pain are independent. The study also has found that there is significance association between mode of transportation to school and with the occurrence of physical pain in children. This study recommends that the policy makers need adopt policies that can resolve the heavy school bags contributing aspects to cause back pain. The policy makers such as educationists and health individuals must adopt policies to report and resolve this problem as the heavy school bags are also contributing aspects to cause musculoskeletal pain and physical pain that is major burden towards kid’s physical as well as mental growth.