Plantar Pressure Distribution In Relation to The Way of Carrying Backpack In Adolescents
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 已完成
- 入组人数
- 92
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Change in the Planar pressure distribution across the foot at different backpack carrying conditions.
研究概览
简要总结
What is this study about? This is an observational study that investigates how different ways of carrying a school backpack affect the pressure distribution on the soles of the feet (plantar pressure) in adolescents.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does carrying a backpack on one shoulder (unilaterally) change the pressure on the bottom of the foot compared to carrying it on both shoulders (bilaterally)?
Does carrying a backpack change the amount of the foot that touches the ground (contact area)?
Are there differences in foot pressure between the right and left foot based on how the backpack is carried?
Researchers compared four different carrying conditions to see their effects:
Carrying no backpack.
Carrying a backpack on both shoulders.
Carrying a backpack on the right shoulder only.
Carrying a backpack on the left shoulder only.
Who participated? The study included 92 healthy adolescent students (32 boys and 60 girls) from Mansoura City, Egypt. Their ages ranged from 12 to 18 years old, they had a normal Body Mass Index (BMI), and had no existing postural or musculoskeletal problems.
What did participants do?
Participants in the study were asked to:
Have their height, weight, and posture checked to ensure they are eligible.
Stand and walk barefoot on a special computerized pressure-sensitive mat (a Foot Scan Plate System).
Perform these standing and walking tasks under the four different backpack conditions listed above. The backpack was always loaded to weigh 15% of the student's body weight.
What did the study find?
The key findings were:
How you carry the backpack affects how much of your foot touches the ground. Carrying a backpack on one shoulder (especially the right) increased the contact area of both feet on the ground, both while standing and walking.
The average and maximum pressures on the soles of the feet did not change significantly. Regardless of how the backpack was carried, the intensity of the pressure under the feet remained relatively the same in these healthy adolescents.
Overall balance was maintained. Even though the carrying method changed how the feet contacted the ground, the body compensated well, and no significant imbalance in pressure between the right and left foot was found during walking.
What does this mean for patients, families, and healthcare providers?
For Teens and Families: This study highlights that how you carry your backpack matters for your foot mechanics. While a brief change may not cause immediate pain, consistently carrying a backpack on one shoulder can alter your posture and gait. It is best to use both shoulder straps to distribute weight evenly and promote healthy body alignment.
For Healthcare Providers: This research provides evidence that the backpack carriage method is a modifiable factor influencing plantar loading patterns in adolescents. Assessing a patient's backpack habits could be a useful part of evaluating complaints of foot, knee, or back pain. Educating patients and families on symmetrical load carriage and proper backpack weight (≤15% of body weight) is a valuable preventive strategy.
The bottom line: While the body can adapt to short-term uneven loading, making a habit of carrying a backpack on both shoulders is the best practice for supporting healthy foot pressure distribution and overall posture in growing adolescents.
详细描述
- Abstract and Core Objective This research presents a detailed biomechanical investigation into the effects of school backpack carriage on foot function in adolescents. The study moves beyond the common focus on spinal posture to analyze the foundational segment: the foot. Utilizing advanced pedobarographic technology, it precisely measures how different loading methods-bilateral (two-strap) and unilateral (one-strap) carriage-alter the distribution of pressure across the plantar surface during static (standing) and dynamic (walking) tasks. The primary objective was to quantify these changes to inform evidence-based recommendations for preventing musculoskeletal strain in a young, developing population.
- Background and Significance Adolescence is a period of significant skeletal and muscular development, making individuals particularly susceptible to external mechanical stresses. The ubiquitous use of backpacks, often carrying loads exceeding recommended guidelines, introduces a chronic, repetitive stressor.
The Kinetic Chain: The human body functions as an interconnected kinetic chain. Alterations in the foundation (the feet) can have cascading effects upward, influencing ankle, knee, hip, and spinal alignment. Therefore, understanding foot pressure is crucial to understanding overall postural health.
The Plantar Pressure Paradigm: Plantar pressure measurement is a sophisticated biomechanical tool that provides a dynamic map of force distribution. It reveals how the body adapts to load, highlighting areas of potential overloading (high pressure) or underloading, which can be precursors to pain, soft tissue damage, or long-term structural changes like flatfoot.
The Unilateral Carriage Problem: Despite widespread knowledge of its negative effects, unilateral backpack carriage remains prevalent among adolescents due to perceived convenience and social trends. This study seeks to quantify the specific biomechanical cost of this habit. 3. Detailed Methodology 3.1. Participant Recruitment and Eligibility (Sample Demographics)
A cohort of 92 adolescents was recruited from a mix of public and private schools in Mansoura City, Egypt, to ensure a representative sample. The stringent eligibility criteria were designed to isolate the variable of backpack carriage from other confounding factors:
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Observational
- 观察模型
- Other
- 时间视角
- Cross Sectional
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 12 Years 至 18 Years（Child, Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •• Their age will range from 12 to 18 years.
- •Their body mass index (BMI) is within normal range according to BMI for age percentile score (WHO, 2007).
- •All adolescents will be free from postural deviation, the trunk rotation in all students is within a normal degree determined by scoliometer (Bunnel, 1993).
排除标准
- •Visual, auditory, or perceptual deficits.
- •Deformities at any joint of the lower limbs and spine.
- •Surgical intervention in the foot.
- •Deep sensory loss.
- •Musculoskeletal disorders.
结局指标
主要结局
Change in the Planar pressure distribution across the foot at different backpack carrying conditions.
时间窗: 2 Hours
The plantar pressure distribution was recorded using the Foot Scan Plate System under different conditions, (Maximum pressure-contact surface area-average pressure) were recorded. The conditions are: 1. Without Backpack 2. Carrying a Backpack with a Unilateral strap on the Left shoulder 3. Carrying a Backpack with a Unilateral strap on the Right shoulder 4. Carrying a Backpack with Bilateral straps on both shoulders
次要结局
未报告次要终点
研究者
Amira Ibrahem
B.Sc. in Physical Therapy
Cairo University