The debate over whether children should carry backpacks or use wheeled school bags to avoid back strain has prompted advice from leading doctors in Bahrain.
With the new academic year approaching, parents are busy shopping for school supplies and choosing bags that could affect their children’s comfort and health at school.
King Abdullah Medical City’s University Medical Centre senior paediatric consultant Professor Mohammed Elbatagi warned that unnecessarily heavy school bags can cause discomfort and fatigue, while also affecting children’s posture.
“Parents should not completely rule out backpacks, but should ensure the schoolbag is as light as reasonably possible, fits the child properly, and is worn on both shoulders,” he told the GDN.
“If a child needs to carry a particularly heavy load, a wheeled bag can be a sensible alternative, especially on relatively flat routes, as it shifts most of the weight away from the child’s shoulders and back.”
However, he noted that wheeled bags can be less practical on stairs, uneven surfaces and in crowded school environments.
Dr Elbatagi stressed that the focus should be on reducing the weight children need to carry in the first place, rather than simply choosing between a backpack and a wheeled bag.
“Schools should be encouraging lockers or classroom storage, providing digital or shared learning materials when appropriate and teaching children how to carry their bags correctly,” he said.
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon at University Hospital, Arabian Gulf University, Dr Mohamed Meherzi echoed the advice on reducing strain, urging children to use both shoulder straps rather than carrying a bag on one shoulder.
“The straps should also be adjusted so the bag sits snugly against the back, and the weight should be kept light,” he said.
As a general guideline, Dr Meherzi said a child’s packed school bag should not exceed 15 per cent of their body weight.
For example, a child weighing 30kg should carry no more than 4.5kg.
However, he said the biggest concern for children’s spinal health is not necessarily the weight of their school bag, but a lack of physical activity.
“To keep children strong and healthy, I strongly recommend regular physical activity, especially swimming or any sport the child genuinely enjoys. The most important thing is to avoid a sedentary lifestyle,” he said.
Dr Meherzi also urged parents not to ignore persistent back pain.“If a child complains of persistent back pain, parents should take them for an orthopaedic examination. This helps rule out underlying spinal conditions, such as scoliosis, a sideways curve of the spine, or kyphosis, excessive rounding of the upper back,” he said.
If there are concerns during the examination, a doctor may recommend a standing full-spine X-ray to investigate further.
Dr Meherzi stressed that early assessment is particularly important because some spinal deformities can progress rapidly during puberty.
“Spinal deformities often worsen rapidly during puberty. If we miss a spinal issue before puberty begins, it can progress quickly as the child grows,” he said.
Last year, MPs from the Strategic Thinking Bloc, led by Parliament’s financial and economic affairs committee chairman Ahmed Al Salloom, called on the government to adopt Saudi Arabia’s new school bag guidelines to help protect children’s health.
Saudi Arabia’s Education Ministry issued a comprehensive awareness guide specifying the standards that school bags should meet to protect children from spinal and muscular injuries caused by misuse or poor design.
Among the recommendations are: a bag’s weight should not exceed 10 per cent of a child’s body weight, it should fit the body width, and feature padded cotton support to protect the spine.
The guidelines also stressed the importance of wide, cushioned shoulder straps and multiple compartments in bags to help distribute weight evenly.
The backpack should also be made of lightweight material.
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