The average child in the Brookhaven School District could becarrying a backpack that equals about 31 percent of his or her bodyweight, a study by King’s Daughters Medical Center showedThursday.

Nationwide studies are showing that students shouldn’t carrymore than 15 percent of their body weight.

However, at Lipsey Middle School – where there are no lockers -students tend to carry all their books from class to class. KDMCofficials also planned to conduct a study at Brookhaven ElementarySchool on Friday.

Lipsey Principal Rob McCreary said students have five primarybooks: math, science, language arts, reading and social studies.But on top of those, backpacks can vary according to how manynotebooks, reading books and other items students will carry.

“This is an eye-opener to me,” he said about study results.”We’ve got the average kid carrying more than 30 percent of theirbody weight? I knew it was a good weight, and I guess we had alljust gotten used to it and didn’t realize how heavy things are.

In the study, 14 Lipsey students were chosen at random and theirbackpacks were weighed and then compared with the weight of theirbodies.

Alexis Stovall, who only weighs 59 pounds herself, is carrying a23-pound backpack. And while fifth-grader Cast Clark’s backpackweighs only 15 pounds, MacKenzie Jackson’s backpack weighs 46pounds.

Jamie Sproles, 11, carries a backpack, another bag and a pursein an effort to distribute weight more evenly.

“It’s so I can put less weight in my backpack,” she said. “Thestrap is ripping.”

Clark carries a messenger bag-type book bag that goes over oneshoulder. While his is just at 15 percent of his body weight, KDMCPhysical Therapist Charlie Smith said he would still be better offwith a two-shoulder bag.

“That’s still not recommended,” she said, indicating his bag.”When you have only one strap, you have to lean to one side. Itchanges the curvature of the spine.”

Smith and fellow therapist Lori Bridge said they actually seeschool children in their clinic with back and shoulder problemsthat can be traced back to their book bags. And nationally, a datacompiled by the American Occupational Therapy Association showsthat 64 percent of American students ages 11-15 have reported backpain related to their backpacks, with 21 percent complaining thatthe pain lasted more than six months.

Meanwhile, at Lipsey, the bags are not simply carried fromclassroom to classroom, but some of them have to be carried down tothe tennis courts at City Park when the children are picked upafter school.

And the AOTA data also shows that nearly 80 percent ofuniversity students who changed how they loaded and wore theirbackpacks reported less pain and strain in their backs, necks andshoulders.

Smith showed students how to pack their bags with the heaviestbooks closest to their bodies, and the lighter ones outfarther.

“They need to wear both straps, and it should hit the bottom oftheir back,” she said.

McCreary said the biggest complaint from parents every year isthe weight of book bags and the amount of school supplies childrenhave to carry.

“They want to know why their children have to carry their booksall the time,” he said. “Plus when football season comes, they’recarrying pads and helmets and band uniforms too.”

McCreary said he is not yet certain what will be done about thefindings of the study done Thursday, but that he will be presentingthem to Brookhaven School District Superintendent Lea Barrett.

“I feel like Mrs. Barrett gave permission to do this study, sowe will submit these findings to her,” he said.