Wednesday, September 09, 2009
OTA students and faculty to lighten burden of backpacks
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A Backpack Awareness Day "Weigh-In" of 4th and 6th grade students and their backpacks will take place at participating parochial schools. Ninety-five occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant students along with eight faculty members from USI and five occupational therapy practitioners from St. Mary's will weigh backpack-wearing students at St. Theresa, St. Benedict, Holy Redeemer, St. Phillip, Good Shepherd, St. John, St. Joseph, St. Wendel, Resurrection, Corpus Christi, and St. Matthew. Weigh-In times vary for each school throughout the day. "We began this community educational outreach program in 2003, partnering with the USI OT program and the parochial school system," said Janet Raisor, the director of Physical Medicine and Community Outreach at St. Mary's. "To date, St. Mary's occupational therapists and USI students and faculty have screened approximately 1,000 children, while educating them on proper backpack guidelines." The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported more than 23,000 people were taken to emergency rooms in 2008 with injuries from backpacks and book bags. Children and young adults returning to school is a reminder that more than 79 million individuals in the U.S. will once again be carrying heavy loads back and forth to school every day. Experts estimate that about 55 percent of children will be carrying too much weight. Research also shows children carrying overloaded and improperly worn packs are likely to experience neck, shoulder, and back pain adverse effects on posture and the developing spine and compromised breathing and fatigue. AOTA recommends that school backpacks weigh only 15 percent of a child's weight. The growing awareness of potential long-term problems to children has resulted in increased medical research, and more coverage of the issue in mainstream publications as well as medical journals. Sherri Mathis, chairperson of the event and assistant professor of occupational therapy assistant at USI, is an expert on school ergonomics and the healthy growth and development of school-age children. She will be coordinating the "weigh-in" activities at the area parochial schools and will be available to answer questions. Her office phone is 812/461-5420. |
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