55 percent public school students suffer backache: study

Heavy school bags are the main cause for growing backache complaints among school-going children. About 55 percent students studying in public schools suffer from backache, while 30 percent government school students fall prey to the problem, says a new study.

Poor diet, wrong posture while walking, standing, watching television, studying, bathing and lying on the bed also accentuate the problem, says the study by the Joint Care Club (JCC) on the students of ten schools up to class VIII here.

The JCC is an organization supported by orthopaedic surgeons.

The study also found that the majority of children who suffered from backache did not tell their parents about it either due to ignorance or fear.

Studies were conducted upon 100 students between the age group of 7-15 years. They belonged to different economic strata and various schools, said JCC secretary Mahesh Jha.

It was found that 55 percent students studying in public schools suffered from backache, while 30 percent students of government and municipal schools fell prey to the problem.

About 53 percent of students belonging to upper classes had acute backache problem.

Fifteen percent of students belonging to the middle class and 10 percent of students belonging to weaker sections of the society suffered from backache.

Only 22 percent students, who never went to school, did not complain of backache, Jha said.

Fifteen percent students who participated in outdoor games, along with hectic study schedule, faced no problem of backache, the report said.

In most cases, children hesitated in telling the problem to their parents as they were scolded instead of getting sympathy.

Interestingly, 22 percent of 'sensitive' children belonging to the weaker sections afflicted with backache told the problem to their parents. The parents scolded them but later they gave treatment at home instead of consulting doctors.

On the other hand, 65 percent of the children from affluent classes told their parents about the backache but they hardly took it seriously.

In 15 percent cases, the parents took the complaints seriously and consulted the orthopaedic surgeon.

According to Jha, a large number of children suffering from backache belong to public schools because apart from carrying heavy school bags, they had to sit at home for long hours each day to complete their daily lessons and to prepare for surprise tests, the report said

Children of government and other schools had comparatively lighter schoolbags and also had lower pressure of studies, it said.