Beware the strain of backpacks

Brooke Heitz
LifeStyles Reporter

Every day, students jump out of bed and throw their books into their backpacks, not even thinking about it. Many may not return to their dorm rooms or homes for that entire day, having to carry their books all day.

What many fail to realize is how they are carrying their books. Studies have linked back problems to backpacks. And adding to the back problems are the new one-strap, briefcase-style book bags. The weight is not evenly distributed on backs as it is when a student is wearing a two-strap backpack.

In an article from Michigan State University, Scott Bautch, president of the American Chiropractic Association's Occupational Head Council, said he spends his days looking at the effects of backpack stress on students.

Bautch worries about the one-strap book bag becoming popular again because of the stress those book bags put on students' backs.

"When I see these one-strap bags becoming popular again, I think, 'Oh no, that's bad,'" he said. "I think they're cool. I think they're more trendy. I don't think that they're functional."

Bautch said studies show between 30 to 40 percent of adolescents experience back pain, and the percentage is increasing at an alarming rate.

Back pain used to begin for many between the ages of 35 and 45, but the average age is now lowering due to the weight of backpacks in college, Bautch said.

In the same article, Laurie Holloway, a consumer relations manager at JanSport Inc., said her company does not receive many complaints about their backpacks.

Holloway offered some tips for backpack safety.

"We tell them not to overpack," she said. "They should wear both straps and get a backpack with a waist strap and then not load it more than 10 or 15 percent of one's body weight."

Purchasing a bag that has two large padded shoulder straps and a waist strap will help to relieve the load that many carry on their backs. Some backpacks even have gel-filled shoulder straps that help to absorb the shock of the weight.

JanSport carries a bag called the Airlift with extra wide straps and a waist strap. The backpack usually ranges from $60 to $90 at various stores.