Back to School Backpack Safety
By Julie Gajic, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, COTA/L
As “back to school” season arrives again, it has us thinking about backpack safety. Since 1998, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) have established September as Backpack Awareness Month. The focus of this initiative has been to increase public education about the impact of overly filled or large bags.
Improper fit, size or having an over-loaded bag can cause back, shoulder and neck pain, and affect a developing spine.
We wanted to share some tips with you for making sure your kid has a backpack with a good fit and learns to...
“Pack it Light, and Wear it Right!”
What to Look for When Choosing a Backpack:
Appropriate size: The backpack should not be wider than your child’s torso or hang more than 4 inches past their waist.
Padded shoulder straps, to distribute the weight without digging into the shoulders.
Padded back, to ensure that items inside the backpack don’t poke into your child’s back.
Waist and chest straps to help distribute the weight more evenly across your child’s back.
Multiple compartments, to help position the weight more efficiently.
Reflective material, to ensure that your child is easily seen when walking to/from school.
Correct Use
Make sure that your child uses both straps when wearing the backpack. Carrying it with one strap shifts the weight to one side and causes muscle soreness and poor posture.
Be sure that the shoulder straps are tightened so the backpack is fitted to your child’s back; a dangling backpack can affect spinal alignment and cause pain.
Load the backpack with the heaviest items at the back, closest to the body.
Ensure that the backpack is not heavier than 15% of your child’s body weight (ex., a kid who weights 100 lbs. should keep their backpack weight at 15 lbs. or less.)