55% of India's Kanpur students suffer backache

Kanpur: Heavy school bags are the main cause for growing backache complaints among students.

About 55 per cent students studying in public schools suffer from backache, while 30 per cent 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 10 schools up to Garde 8 here.

The JCC is an organisation 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 and 15 years. They belonged to different economic strata and various schools, said JCC secretary Mahesh Jha.

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

Healthy schedule

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

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

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

Fifteen per cent 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 per cent 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 per cent of the children from affluent classes told their parents about the backache but they hardly took it seriously.

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.

Are schoolbags heavier today as compared to prevoius generations? Why do you think that is so despite advances in technology? What could be done to reduce the weight of pupils schoolbags? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the form bellow to send your comments.

Its high time the syllabus be revised and Indian students start mastering in one field than remain a Jack of all Trades.The govt. should also take initiatives to change the teaching method and make it more interactive than force the small brains to pump in everything without actually understanding anything.
Mary
Muscat,Oman
Posted: June 22, 2008, 13:37

Definately goverment should take necessary steps to reduce the load(baggage). because today student are tommorrow backbone of india.
BOSE
chennai,india
Posted: June 22, 2008, 10:18