Spinal Deformities & School Bags: Role of school bags in developing spinal Deformities in Northern India

Our health is largely dependent on our spinal health. Our spine is basically made up of 33 irregular vertebrae‘s stacked one over the other. Together they make three major curves. First curve is found in cervical region, named as cervical curve. The second curve can be clearly observed in the upper back region of thoracic region. The third curve is found in the lumbar region of the spine and called as lumbar curve. The spinal cord among the children of developing age and growth are very much vulnerable to have many health issues including deformities. The word deformities here, refers to the deviation of natural curvatures from the spine. Along with different causing factors like the lifestyle, schools have a very keen role to play in developing one‘s spinal health. It has been observed and reported that growing children have developed various types of spinal problems and deformities. A very important causing factor is carrying heavy back packs or school bags. The carriage of heavy weights on both shoulder or on a single side shoulder for almost every day in a week regularly for a prolonged period causes various deformities. The most common spinal deformities among the children are kyphosis and lordosis. The word Kyphosis is defined by an excessive outward curve of the spine and may cause a deformity of humpback or hunchback. Abnormal kyphosis is more commonly found in the thoracic or thoraco-lumbar (chest area/low back). It can affect the neck too. Lordosis is defined by an excessive inward curve of the spine. Although it primary affects the lumbar spine, it does occur in the neck too. Patients with excessive lumbar lordosis may appear swayback, the

By keeping the current scenario the present study has been constituted with following purpose

The primary purpose of the study was to find out the status and association of spinal deformities among the school children of northern region. The secondary purpose is to find out the association of selected spinal deformities i.e. kyphosis and lordosis with the heaviness of school bag.

Sample: the data was collected from the two states namely Punjab and Uttarakhand of northern India. The total sample size was 1000 school children (500 from each state) studying from different kinds of schools. All the children were ranging into the age group of 10-15 years. Criterion measures. Kyphosis and lordosis was measured by measuring the spinal curvature. Anyone who is have equal to or more than 45 degree of curvature was kept into the category of kyphosis, lordosis and spinally deformed category. Heaviness of school bag was measured with help of questionnaire. There were two specific questions seeking the info of heaviness in the school bag and the way they are carried on to the shoulders.

Research Instruments: A flexible ruler (flexicurve) was used to measure the degree of kyphosis. Administration of Test: Each student was asked to come one by one in private ward (with the permission of principal of the concerned school) in the presence of physical education teacher, and remove their shirts off so that the spinous processes of C7 and T12 can be marked with a skin marker. The child was asked to inhale and exhale without forcing out the breath. The flexicurve was carefully conformed to the thoracic spine. The span of the spinal curve was noted down by using the flexicurve ruler. Converting Raw Scores into Degrees: The kyphosis angle was calculated with the trigonometric calculation using the following formula:

Administration of Test: for measuring lordosis the spinous processes of T12 and S2 was marked with a skin marker. The child was asked to inhale and exhale without forcing out the breath. The flexicurve was carefully conformed to the lumbar spine. The span of the spinal curve was noted down to the graph paper by using the flexicurve ruler. Converting Raw Scores into Degrees: The lordosis angle was calculated with the trigonometric calculation using the following formula:

Statistical test employed: The data was analyzed by descriptive analysis and chi square test. The level of significance was set at .05

The below given table shows that 87 percent school children are spinally deformed. They are either kyphotic, lordotic or having both deformities.

results also revealed that approx 37 percent of the children were having both spinal deformities i.e. kypho-lordosis.

The data was further analyzed to find out the association of heaviness of school bag and the status of spinal deformities among the children of northern India.

The above table is showing the testing of null hypothesis i.e. there is no association of incidence of spinal deformities with the heaviness of school bag against the research hypothesis that there is a significant association between spinal deformities and heavy school bags. The results of the analysis give the chi square value of 6.660 which is significantly higher than the tabulated value. And hence it can be concluded that there is a significant association between the incidences of spinal deformity with the heaviness of school bag.

among the school children of Northern India against the research hypothesis that there is a significant association between heaviness of schoolbag and the status of kyphosis among the school children of Northern India. Results revealed a significant association, as the calculated chi square ( ) is 1.610 which is less than the tabulated value of chi square (0.05 (1) = 3.841). Thus, it may be concluded that there was a significant association between heaviness of schoolbag and the status of kyphosis among the school children of Northern India. In other words it may be inferred that the heaviness of school bag is not a major causing factor for the incidences of kyphosis in Northern India.

The above table is showing the testing of null hypothesis (Ho) i.e. there is no association between heaviness of schoolbag and the status of lordosis among the school children of Northern India against the research hypothesis that there is a significant association between heaviness of schoolbag and the status of lordosis among the school children of Northern India. Results revealed a significant association, as the calculated chi square ( ) is 5.235 which is significantly higher than the tabulated value of chi square (0.05 (1) = 3.841). Thus, it may be concluded that there was a significant association between heaviness of schoolbag and the status of kyphosis among the school children of Northern India. In other words it may be inferred that the heaviness of school bag is not a major causing factor for the incidences of kyphosis in Northern India.

The above table is showing the testing of null hypothesis (Ho) i.e. there is no association between gender and the status of Spinal Deformities among the school children of Northern India against the research hypothesis that there is a significant association between gender and the status of Spinal Deformities among the school children of Northern India. Results revealed insignificant association, as the calculated chi square ( ) is .259 which is lesser than the tabulated value of chi square (0.05 (1) = 3.841). Thus, it may be concluded that there was no association between the genders and the status of Spinal Deformities among the school children of Northern India. In other words it may be inferred that both the genders are equally vulnerable to the spinal deformities.

Results and findings of the study revealed that a spinal deformity is highly prevalent among the school children of northern Region of India. It has been observed that 87 percent of the school children were having either of the selected spinal deformities i.e. Kyphosis or Lordosis. Further the results also revealed that kyphosis is more prevalent deformity in comparison to lordosis as there percentages of incidences were 79 and 49 percent respectively. Results also revealed that 37 percent of the school children in Northern India is having both deformities i.e. kyphosis as well as lordosis. This means 37 percent child were not only having hunch back but at the same time an excessive lumbar arch too. Next to the descriptive analysis the data was analyzed for finding out the association of spinal deformities with the heaviness of school bag. Results showed a significant association. Thereby it can be concluded that heavy school bags are playing a major role in increasing the incidences of spinal deformities among the school children of northern region in India. Results of the study also revealed that there is no association of kyphosis with the heaviness of school bag that means it can be inferred through this finding that heavy backpacks are not responsible significantly for the incidences of kyphosis. Hence, it opens up the gateway for the other scholar to work upon it and find that heavy school bags are highly responsible in increasing the occurrences of lordosis among the school children of Northern India. It was also found that there is no role play of gender in the incidences of spinal deformities. Thereby it can be concluded that both the genders are equally vulnerable as well suffering from the spinal deformities in Northern India.

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Retrieved on April 27, 2018 from https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1310896/children-are-still-damaging-their-spines-carrying-school

Post-Doctoral Research Scholar, SOSPESS, Jiwaji University