Short-term effects of backpack carriage on plantar pressure and gait in schoolchildren

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the effects of backpack carriage on plantar pressure distributions and spatio-temporal gait parameters among children.

Participants: Two hundred-eighteen schoolchildren, aged 6-13, and attending primary and secondary schools in the city of Cagliari (Italy).

Methods: Participants were tested at school, during regular days. A pressure plate and wearable inertial sensors were used to measure plantar pressures and spatio-temporal parameters of gait. Measures were obtained during both quiet standing and walking, and both with and without a backpack. The latter contained those items a child had on the testing day.

Results: Participants carried a mean mass in their backpacks of 5.2 kg, and more than half had a backpack/body mass ratio higher than 15%. While spatio-temporal gait parameters were not affected by backpack carriage, significant increases (up to 25%) in plantar pressures were found during both static standing and walking, especially in the forefoot.

Conclusion: Under realistic conditions, the impact of backpack carriage was more evident on foot-ground interaction than on gait features. However, long-term consequences of altered plantar pressure need to be assessed in future work, considering the actual durations typically spent carrying school items.

Keywords: Backpack; Children; Foot; Gait; Pedobarography; Plantar pressure.