Schoolbags pose long-term problems for back

It’s a tabloid staple every September, but new search has found that significant numbers of schoolchildren regularly carry bags on their backs that top 10 to 15 per cent of their body weight and risk back pain and other related disorders. The problem is compounded by a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, said the researchers, led by Prof Alberto Ruano Ravina of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The team assessed the back health of 1,403 pupils between the ages of 12 and 17, drawn from 11 schools in one province in…