Backpack Awareness Day

The School of Occupational Therapy at University of Indianapolis partnered with the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) to conduct a backpack awareness day in September to educate students, school administrators, faculty, and communities about the serious health effects from backpacks that are too heavy or worn improperly. This local event was part of the National School Backpack Awareness Day, held by occupational therapy practitioners across the country.

A Backpack Awareness Day "Weigh-In" of college students, faculty, and staff and their backpacks, briefcases, and purses illustrated the amount of weight that students and workers carry on their backs or with their upper extremities to and from school/work each day. Occupational therapy practitioners and UINDY occupational therapy students weighed backpack-wearing UINDY college students, faculty, and staff.

The Backpack Awareness Day events are important because the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported more than 23,000 people ended up in emergency rooms in 2007 with injuries from backpacks and book bags. More than 79 million individuals in the U. S. carry heavy loads back and forth to school every day. Experts estimate that about 55 percent of children carry too much weight. Research also shows children carrying overloaded and improperly worn packs are likely to experience neck, shoulder, and back pain; adverse effects on posture and the developing spine; and compromised breathing and fatigue.

AOTA recommends that school backpacks weigh only 15 percent of a child’s weight. Following this same guideline, these recommendations are prudent for adults to observe, as well. The growing awareness of potential long-term problems to children has resulted in increased medical research, and more coverage of the issue in mainstream publications as well as medical journals.