Weight of School Bags and its association with Musculoskeletal Disorders in Primary School Students of Amman, Jordan

This study sought to determine the prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) and its association with school bags’ weight among Jordanian primary school students. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Amman, Jordan, and included 736 primary school students aged 7 to 12 years. The survey was conducted by questionnaire containing information on the demographic and individual characteristics of participants, followed by standardized Nordic questionnaire to identify those who have MSDs and those who do not. The child's weight and the bag's weight were assessed using a digital weighing scale, and the ratio of bag weight to body weight was then calculated. The results showed that 56.1% of the students had MSDs, with a higher percentage among female students (59.7%) compared to male students (52.6%). In addition, 61.7% of students’ bags was over 10% of their body weight. There was a significant relationship between the prevalence of MSDs and school bags’ weight to students’ weight ratio (P = 0.02). Additionally, such disorders were significantly more frequent among female students than male (P = 0.01), and higher grades students than lower grades (P < 0.001). The study concluded that most Jordanian primary school children carry school bags that exceed the recommended weight relative to their body weight. Additionally, the prevalence of MSDs was high and was found to be associated with sex, grade level, and school bag weight.