The effect of carrying a school bag, the distribution of force and plantar pressure during the gait of children with different levels of physical activity

BackgroundCarrying a school bag is often a necessary activity for children and children perform it during everyday productive activities.ObjectiveOf the research is to examine the impact of carrying a school bag on the distribution of force and plantar pressure during the gait of children with different levels of physical activity.MethodsThe prospective comparative study included 150 students aged 11-12 from Banja Luka. According to the protocol, each group of subjects walked at average and maximum speed on flat and 5% inclined terrain. For research purposes, the Physical Activity Questionnaire PAQ-C (The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children), measurement of anthropometric parameters, school bag characteristics and Zebris tape (Zebris Medical GmbH, Germany) were used for gait analysis.ResultsModerately active and especially low active subjects show a significant increase in maximal force and maximal pressure values. Changes in antero-posterior variability are also related to the position of the bag in inactive subjects, in whom this parameter is lower if the bag is worn in the highest position, up to 5 cm from the seventh cervical vertebra (Mdn1 to 5 cm). = 5.05, M dn2 from 5-10 cm = 14.15, M dn3 over 10 cm = 13.20 χ 2 (2) = 7.95, p = 0.019, ε 2 = 0.16.ConclusionsExternal load did not lead to a change in dynamic parameters in highly active subjects, except for an increase in the maximum force on certain parts of the foot, when the subjects carried their own bag.