Many teens still carrying dangerously heavy backpacks: study

How heavy is your child’s backpack?

A new study suggests many teens are carrying school bags that exceed 10 to 15 per cent of their body weight, putting them at extended risk for future back pain.

Researchers looked at more than 1,400 students between the ages of 12 and 17 in Northwestern Spain, finding the average backpack weighed more than 7 kgs (15 lbs).

One in four students surveyed said they had experienced back pain for more than 15 days during the previous year.

Of those teens, the ones with the heaviest bags were 50 per cent more likely to have suffered back pain when compared to those with the lightest bags.

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