Here comes the new school year with supply lists to buy including the rucksack (backpack with reflective tape) requires special attention.

 

A backpack poorly adapted to the size and weight of the child, ill-fitting or badly worn may cause back pain or injury. Here specialist advice for the selection, fit and wear the bag as well as some quality criteria to prevent, for example, water infiltration.

 

Criteria for the prevention of back pain and injury

A backpack is clearly preferable to a shoulder bag for better weight distribution. The bag should have wide padded shoulder straps to distribute the weight over a larger area of ​​the shoulders.

 

The bottom of the bag should not go lower than the bottom curve of the back and never lower than 10 cm below the waist. The anchor points of the straps should be from 2.5 to 5 cm below the shoulders. A bag worn low exerts more pressure on the shoulders, causing poor posture.

 

Several professional organizations recommend that the bag and its contents do not weigh more than 10% to 15% of the weight of the child. It is therefore important that the bag is of a strong but lightweight reflective material. Leather bags are not recommended because of their greater weight.

A well-padded back section reduces pressure points on the body and can prevent injuries because children often tend to put the jumble material in the bag.

 

It is often advisable to choose a bag with a hip strap to better distribute the weight evenly across the back, waist and hips.

An interesting safety feature is the presence of reflectors or reflective vest to improve visibility at dusk or dawn.

 

Quality Criteria

Beyond the important characteristics for the prevention of back pain, there are the criteria of quality in workmanship. The US consumer magazine Consumer Reports suggests checking if the seams are botched, if cowardly son, or the edges of fabrics that fray that can weaken the seams and get stuck in the zipper and finally, if the zippers have a flap of tissue that covers to prevent water infiltration.

 

Tips for proper use of the bag

It is recommended to advise the child to well carry the bag on both shoulders and not on one shoulder.

It is advisable to watch regularly with the child if the items could not be left in the classroom. The heaviest items should be placed in the central part of the bag.

 

Other items of school supplies can pose health risks as recently demonstrated on testing by the French consumer association UFC: Toxic School Supplies: products to avoid, others to choose from.