Frequency of low back pain and its association with school bag weight in school children

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a common health concern among school-going children, often linked to carrying heavy school bags. Excessive backpain weight can contribute to musculoskeletal. Discomfort, poor posture, and long-term spinal issues. Despite growing awareness. there is limited region-specific data on this association. Objective: This study aimed to determine the frequency and relationship of low back pain with the weight of school bags among school-going children. Methods: A cross-sectional survey (ethical approval number IRB-267SBBDU-20) was condu8cted between June and November 2020, involving 321 school children who met specific inclusion criteria. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on demographic Characteristics, backpain symptoms, and student’s perception of their school bag weight. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22. Results: On 321 school age children, 93.4% (n=300) reported low back pain (LBP), with 45.2% (n=145) experiencing it once a month frequently. LBP prevalence did not differ significantly by gender (p > 0.05), though higher in boys (54.52%, n=175) than girls (38.94%, n=125). Significant associations included carrying more than six books (93.14% of those with LBP, ?²=273.6, p