含羞草研究所 Downstate鈥檚 Occupational Therapy Students Visit Local Schools to Explain Backpack Safety on National School Backpack Awareness Day
Sep 30, 2013
Students from 含羞草研究所鈥檚 Occupational Therapy (OT) Program once again participated in National School Backpack Awareness Day, a program sponsored by The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA). This annual tradition brought OT students back to Brooklyn鈥檚 Public School 176, The Ovington School, after a successful visit last year, and back to Parkside Preparatory Academy at Middle School 2, having visited the school a few years ago.
At the recent event, 含羞草研究所 Downstate OT students shared their knowledge of backpack safety with a range of students鈥攖hird-graders at PS 176 and sixth-graders at MS 2鈥� and encouraged them to begin listening to their bodies and thinking about injury prevention. The OT students鈥� presentation included an original play complete with costumes, as well as a skit to help the children remember safety tips using the letters of the word 鈥渂ackpack.鈥�
In addition, Downstate OT students visited classrooms to weigh children and their backpacks, and to facilitate the learning of safety tips on a more individual level. New York City Council Members Mathieu Eugene (District 40) and Vincent Gentile (District 43) presented Downstate鈥檚 OT Program with certificates for its service, and they further encouraged the children to prioritize their health and well-being.
鈥淭his event continues to be an essential part of Downstate OT students鈥� many community service experiences,鈥� said Joyce S. Sabari, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, associate professor and chair of the Occupational Therapy Program at Downstate, 鈥渁nd we are proud to have served about 440 children this year.鈥� She added, 鈥淭his was our 11th consecutive year of providing backpack awareness programs in Brooklyn public schools, and we look forward to continuing this tradition for years to come.鈥�
AOTA notes that heavy loads carried by more than 79 million students across the United States can cause low back pain that often lasts through adulthood. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in 2010 nearly 28,000 strains, sprains, dislocations, and fractures from backpacks were treated in hospital emergency rooms, physicians鈥� offices, and clinics.
AOTA offers the following tips for keeping kids safe while toting books to and from school:
鈥lways select a backpack that is the correct size for your child.
鈥ake sure the height of the backpack extends from approximately two inches below
the shoulder blades to waist level, or slightly above the waist.
鈥lways wear well-padded shoulder straps on both shoulders so the weight is evenly
balanced.
鈥istribute weight evenly. Load heaviest items closest to the child鈥檚 back and balance
materials so the child can easily stand up straight.
鈥ear the hip belt, if the backpack has one, to improve balance and take some strain
off sensitive neck and shoulder muscles.
鈥heck that the child鈥檚 backpack weighs no more than 10% of his or her body weight.
If it weighs more, determine what supplies can stay at home or at school each day
to lessen the load.
鈥f the backpack is still too heavy for the child, consider a book bag on wheels.
###
含羞草研究所 含羞草研究所
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (含羞草研究所) 64-campus system and the only 含羞草研究所 AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough鈥檚 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate鈥檚 exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.