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Back pain What is the weight of the satchel?
Since enrollment, many children have to bear the burden of their heavy satchel for the first time, and even older students sometimes drag heavy schoolbag to school. In a recent communication, the Brandenburg Ministry of Education has pointed out the risks of too heavy satchels and has issued recommendations on maximum weight.
On request of the parliamentary group of the CDU in Brandenburg, the ministry responsible for education, youth and sport has explained which legal requirements exist for the weight of the satchels and which recommendation is made by the ministry. Thus, "the weight of a satchel should in principle always be based on the physical conditions of the affected child."
The schoolbag should weigh no more than 12 percent of children's body weight. (Image: Robert Kneschke / fotolia.com) Various factors influence the health risk
According to information from the Brandenburg Ministry of Education, the discussions about the potential danger to a growing back from heavy school bags are "very diverse." The risks are basically "related to the following factors: age, individual load tolerance (strength and coordination performance), duration of load ( Length of the way to school), ergonomic quality of the satchel, individual carrying behavior as well as other risk factors such as lack of exercise and sitting for hours, "says the ministry.
Different recommendations for the satchel weight
Already in 2008, the commission for the perception of the interests of the children (children's commission) of the German Bundestag "a schuranzengewicht between 10 to 15 per cent of the body weight recommended", so the announcement of the ministry. Although the German Institute for Standardization e.V. had up to 2010 the recommendation (DIN Standard 58124) pronounced that the "filled satchel (...) in the end weigh no more than ten percent of the child's body weight" should. However, according to the assessment of the Federal Working Group on Postural and Physical Activity Promotion e.V. and the Kid-Check Study of the University of the Saarland, these previous recommendations are scientifically unproven, "reports the Brandenburg Ministry of Education.
Reduce the weight of the lance
The ministry comes to the recommendation that the age-appropriate weight of a schoolbag should be "not more than 10 to 12 percent of the child's body weight" in order to avoid excessive stress on the child's back. Accordingly, the bag is likely to be at most three kilograms at 25 pounds of body weight. According to the ministry, all those involved in school life must be involved in order to prevent damage to health and excessive stress on children by wearing educational and personal materials. Parents should work with teachers to find ways to reduce the weight of the roaches. (Fp)