Occupational Therapy intervention in the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders associated with school backpack use

Abstract

Introduction: The school environment constitutes a fundamental setting for the physical, cognitive, and emotional development of students, where they adopt routines with a significant impact on their overall health. Within these routines, the daily transport of school supplies in backpacks is a common yet poorly supervised activity. Improper backpack use represents a critical risk factor for developing musculoskeletal injuries and disorders. Since students are in a key stage of bone and muscle growth, they are highly susceptible to spinal deviations when bearing excessive weight. Objective: To analyze the actions and intervention strategies of Occupational Therapy in preventing musculoskeletal injuries caused by backpack use among children and adolescents in educational contexts. Methodology: A descriptive study based on a narrative review with a systematized methodology of existing scientific evidence. Articles, journals, and theses published between 2015 and 2025 in English and Spanish were retrieved from EBSCOhost, Dialnet, PubMed, SciELO, Elsevier, Redalyc, and Google Scholar. From an initial search of 211 articles, after a selection process, 20 articles from the database search and 6 articles from other sources were included, for a total of 26 documents to support the qualitative synthesis. Results: Improper backpack use increases the probability of developing chronic conditions such as scoliosis, hyperlordosis, or hyperkyphosis during school age. From an Occupational Therapy perspective, implementing preventive interventions is essential to reduce the incidence of these pathologies by educating students, families, and teachers. Furthermore, there is a need to influence state-level initiatives to promote public policies that regulate school load weight. Conclusions: There is a scarcity of scientific literature on this topic in Latin America and regarding the specific role of Occupational Therapy, highlighting the need for further field research both nationally and internationally. The study concludes that the primary preventive strategy in Occupational Therapy is education on the long-term ergonomic impact on the student population.