By Luke EngP5Resilient

My IRS Research Topic

If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?-Albert Einstein

My Research Plan

To find out if the bag weight to body weight and bag weight to height ratio is linked to P5 GEP pupils having joint aches.

Weight bearing joints

•Neck•Shoulders•Back•Hips•Knees•Ankles•Feet

Other factors•Posture of student•Design of bag•Habits of students carrying their bags – on one shoulder, two shoulders, etc.

How can it help?The research may find a different safety cut off for weight of school bags specific to P5 GEP pupils.

A different safety cut off may be different for boys and girls.

The hypothesis1st :A bag that is too heavy for a P5 GEP pupil given height or body weight contributes to pain in the weight bearing joints.

2nd: A big fraction of P5 GEP pupils may not be removing items not needed from their schoolbags.

3rd: Carrying heavy schoolbags to school reduce their timing in the 1.8km run.

4th: heavy schoolbags may stunt their height growth

The subject of studyP5 Resilient pupils, because

1. Having to weigh and measure the height of three classes would be too troublesome

2. Everyday, every class would have different subjects

X axis•Bag weight

Y axis•Bag weight / height •Body weight / bag weight•1.8km run results

Headings for chart

The literature review“School bag carriage and pain in school children” in Pubmed, a medical website.1. In 2012, Jayaratne K. found that schoolbags are an

important factor in joint pain.2. In 2006, Al-Hazza HM. found that one-third of the

702 Saudi boys experienced pain from heavy schoolbags

3. Pucktree T., Silal SP., Lin J. found joint pain experinced from scholars 11-14 yrs old are related to the type of bag carriedProposed by Voll and Klimt, the recommended bag weight is 10% of your body weight. Even thought it’s started in 1977, it continues to be the recommended guideline by many!

The literature reviewOverloaded backpacks carried by children compromise their posture and may lead to future injuries of the spine, according to researchers who studied the effects of fatigue and load on posture of 8 to 9 year-old children carrying bags.

Nearly 25 percent of young students carry bags weighing more than 20 percent of their bodyweight on a daily basis!

(Are you one of them?)

Methods I will use…

Survey

SurveyStep 1: Measure the weight of student

Your weight will be kept private

Step 2: Measure the weight of the student with his/her bag upon arrival at school before they unpack

Step 3: Measure the student’s height

Step 4: Plot charts on Excel

The surveyStep 1: Craft the survey

Your answers are valued

Step 2: Give out the survey

Step 3: Collect the survey

Please be honest

The time frameApril: Craft survey

May: Give out survey, collect survey, collect data

June: Collate results

August: Collate all results and form conclusion

The resultsHeights:

Weights:

Weights of bags:

Yet to be completed1.8km results:

Sources1. http://www.iea.cc/ECEE/pdfs/art0212.pdf2. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/25106.php3. http://www.123rf.com/photo_12420574_stack-of-manilla-file-folders-

stamped-confidential.html4. http://www.fitcommerce.com/Blueprint/Page.aspx?

pageId=354&portalId=2&tabindex=55. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?

term=school+bag+carriage+and+pain+in+school+children6. http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/correlational-studies-in-

psychology-examples-advantages-types.html

Special thanks to:Mentors: Mrs. Debbie LamMr. Joshua MeyyappanMs. Charity KamMs. Toh Shi Min