Relationship between Parental Emotional Styles and Family Values to Anxiety Level among Primary School Children

@#Introduction: Childhood anxiety is one of the common mental health problems in children. Untreated childhood anxiety will lead to a higher risk of developing mental health problems in adulthood. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental emotional styles and family values to anxiety level among primary school children. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a selected primary school in Kelantan, Malaysia. A set of questionnaires consisted of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale–Parents’ Report (RCADS-P 25), the Parental Emotional Style Questionnaire (PESQ), and the Asian Family Characteristics Scale (AFCS) was used for assessing anxiety, parental emotional styles, and family values, respectively. Data were collected via an online survey using Google Form, and were analysed using Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) to determine the factors associated with childhood anxiety. The significance value was set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 150 parents of primary school children from the selected school was involved in this study. The majority of respondents were females (82.0%), married (94.7%), hold a degree (66.7%), and were working in the government sector (60.0%). Most of the respondents’ child were twelve years old (20.7%) and males (62%). Based on the MLR, emotional dismissing parental style (p = 0.025) and family values (p = 0.016) were significantly associated with anxiety in these children. Conclusion: Emotional dismissing parental style and family values were significant predictors of anxiety in primary school children. Future intervention research on childhood anxiety is needed.

INTRA-FAMILY DIFFERENCES IN NUTRITIONAL STATUS BETWEEN PRE-SCHOOL AND SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN

Currently under- and over-nutrition are public health problems in Indian children. A community-based study in 3249 children was undertaken to assess the magnitude of intra-family differences in nutritional status between pre-school and school age children from urban low middle income families. Length/height and weight were measured; nutritional status was computed using WHO Anthro and Anthro Plus software. One-fourth of children were stunted, 1/5th underweight, 1/10th wasted and less than 5% were overweight. Prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting was higher in children whose elder siblings were stunted, underweight or wasted. However, majority of the younger siblings of under-nourished elder siblings were normally nourished; majority of the elder siblings of undernourished younger sibling were normally nourished. In view of this, it is essential to screen all children, identify those who are under- or overnourished using BMI-for-age and provide appropriate interventions.

Vitamin D Deficiency Among Primary School Children in Mosul City, Northern Iraq

@#Introduction: Although vitamin D deficiency among young children is widespread, deficiency status may vary among regions. Data on the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among children in Mosul city are lacking. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among primary school children in Mosul city, North Iraq. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the government primary schools in Mosul city over the period from February to May 2019. Multistage random sampling technique was applied; four governmental primary schools in Mosul city were selected. A representative sample size of 1072 children, aged between 6 and 12 was enrolled, serum 25OHD was analyzed in all the participants. Results: Vitamin D deficiency (25OHD < 12 ng/ml) was found in 59.7% of children, vitamin D insufficiency (25OHD 12-19 ng/ml) was evident in 33.8% of children, whereas only 6.3 % of children had vitamin D sufficiency (25OHD ≥ 20 ng/ml). Boys had significantly higher levels of 25OHD compared to girls, (p = 0.0001). There was no significant difference in 25OHD concentrations in relation to parental education. There was a weak reverse significant correlation between body weight and 25OHD concentrations, (r = - 0.117, p = 0.000). Conclusion: Only 6.3 % of primary school children in Mosul city had sufficient vitamin D status. Vitamin D supplementation to primary school children is essential.

Relationship between maternal employment status and children's food intake in Japan

BACKGROUND@#Although long maternal working hours are reported to have a negative effect on children's dietary habits, few studies have investigated this issue in Japan. Healthy dietary habits in childhood are important because they may reduce the risk of future disease. Here, we examined the relationship between maternal employment status and children's dietary intake in 1693 pairs of Japanese primary school 5th and 6th graders and their mothers.@*METHODS@#The survey was conducted using two questionnaires, a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire and a lifestyle questionnaire. The analysis also considered mothers' and children's nutrition knowledge, attitudes toward diet, and some aspects of family environment.@*RESULTS@#Longer maternal working hours were associated with children's higher intake of white rice (g/1000kcal) (β 11.4, 95%CI [1.0, 21.9]; working ≥8h vs. not working), lower intake of confectioneries (g/1000kcal) (β -4.0 [-7.6, -0.4]), and higher body mass index (BMI) (kg/m@*CONCLUSIONS@#Longer maternal working hours were significantly associated with higher intake of white rice and lower intake of confectioneries, as well as higher BMI among children. Even when a mother works, however, it may be possible to improve her child's dietary intake by other means such as nutrition education for children or enhancement of food environment.

Clinical and functional profile of 6-12-year-old children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder referred to a tertiary care center in South India

Objective: To describe the clinical, socio-demographic, and functional profile of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) referred to a tertiary care center in Kerala, India. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted from records of developmental evaluation clinic over a period of one year. All-consecutive cases the first time diagnosed as ADHD were enrolled. Autism Spectrum Disorder, genetic disorders, and children with sensory impairments were excluded. Clinical profile was based on presenting symptoms, gender, and socio-demographic characteristics; functional status assessed by Conner’s 3 Parent Scale and cognitive status by Intelligence Quotient. Results: ADHD prevalence in a clinically referred sample was 12.7%. Boy to girl ratio was 6:1. The mean age of presentation was 8.2 years (SD 6.09). The most common presenting symptom was hyperactivity and behavioral problems followed by poor scholastic performance and poor memory. The functional status assessment showed major concerns in all six domains - Inattention, Hyperactivity, Learning Problem, Executive Functioning, Aggression, and Peer relation, in the majority of children. Children presenting with ADHD symptoms at a later age (9-12 years) had lower IQ scores than those diagnosed at a younger age. Conclusion: Course of childhood ADHD shows a consistent clinical and functional pattern. Early diagnosis and quantification of difficulties at the outset is suggested, which can help in providing early intervention and is likely to improve long-term outcome in these children.

Awareness and attitude of mothers of primary school children towards child sexual abuse in Tamil Nadu, India

Background: Child sexual abuse leads to several adverse impacts in the affected children. A study on awareness and attitude of mothers towards child sexual abuse will help to formulate better techniques to improve awareness and prevent child sexual abuse. The objective is to study the awareness and attitude of mothers of primary school students towards child sexual abuse.Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was done in the state of Tamil Nadu, India among 186 mothers of primary school children. Data were collected from the mothers using a predesigned questionnaire and analyzed.Results: Only 12.9% of the mothers were aware of the POCSO Act and 32.8% were aware of the child helpline 1098. 76.9% of the mothers were aware of unexplained genital injury as a physical indicator of child sexual abuse. Acute traumatic response (83.9%) and regression in behavior (82.8%) were the commonly aware behavioral indicators of child sexual abuse. Only 25.3% of the mothers believed that boys can be sexually abused. 75.3% of the mothers believed that the offenders were usually unknown persons. 88.7% of the mothers believed that unaccompanied children were a risk factor. 88.2 % of the mother believed that physical and mental disability in children was a risk factor. Majority of the mothers believed that streets (88.7%) and institutions (80.1%) were the common environment for child sexual abuse. Only 23.7% of the mothers had taught regarding good touch and bad touch to their children. 50.5 % of the mothers believed that the major role in preventing child sexual abuse is played by the parents.Conclusions: Awareness regarding child sexual abuse was low among the mothers of primary school children.

A study on correlation between screen time duration and school performance among primary school children at Tamil Nadu, India

Background: In recent times, one of the factors implied in poor school performance in children is increasing screen time. Objective of the study was to find the association of screen time duration with school performance among primary school children in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 134 primary school students at the state of Tamil Nadu, India from June 2019 to August 2019. Data regarding screen time were collected from the parents and school performance from teachers using a predesigned questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed with suitable statistical methods using SPSS 25 software.Results: Of the 134 children, 72(53.7%) were male and 62(46.3%) female children. 52(38.8%) were in the age group of 6 to 7 years, 47(35.1%) in the age group of 8 to 9 years and 35(26.1%) in the age group of 10 to 11 years. Majority of the children (56.7%) had an average daily screen time of >120 minutes followed by 61 to 120 minutes (29.1%) and ?60 minutes (14.2%). Based on composite academic performance, 23(17.2%) children were categorized as having poor academic performance, 71(52.9%) as average and 40(29.9%) as good academic performance. There was no statistically significant correlation of screen time duration with composite academic performance and academic performance in mathematics, science and language. (p Value >0.05).Conclusions: There was no significant correlation between screen time duration and school performance in primary school children in this study. Further studies are required to find the influence of screen time on various domains of learning and on long term cognition and educational achievement.

Awareness and attitude among parents of primary school students towards screen time in children

Background: Screen time behavior in young children is highly influenced by parental attitude towards screen time.The objective of this study is to assess the awareness and attitude among parents of primary school students in the state of Tamil Nadu, India towards screen time in children.'Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the state of Tamil Nadu, India among 134 parents of primary school children. Data collected using a predesigned questionnaire were analyzed using suitable statistical methods.Results: Of the 134 participants, 48.5% were fathers and 51.5% mothers. Majority (77.6%) were in the age group of 24 to 35 years. Only 3.7% of the participants were aware of the exact screen time guidelines in children. 93.3% of the participants felt that it was important to limit screen time in children. 84.3% of the participants believed that the content of screen time should be controlled in children. 82.1% of parents felt that they should co view media with their children. 65.7% of the participants believed that the ideal screen time in children per day is 1 to 2 hours. 82.1% of the participants believed that using screen time as a replacement for caretaker was an important reason for increasing screen time. The awareness of adverse effects of increased screen time was high among the participants. 91.8% of the participants believed that establishing limits for screen time in children was the most efficient way to limit screen time in children. 89.6 % believed that increasing awareness among children was important.Conclusions: In this study, we conclude that majority of the parents were aware of the adverse effects of increasing screen time and want to establish healthy screen time behaviours in children.

Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiases among Primary School-going Children in Rarieda, Siaya County-Kenya

Background and Aim: It is certain that without readily available water in sufficient quantity, and free of pathogens, man's progress is tremendously hindered. In Muyuka, Cameroon, though there exist public taps littered “here and there”, the population most often find themselves fetching water from nearby streams raising to surface the question of sustainability of the available water systems which was the aim of this study.Methods:This was a cross-sectional, analytic study targeting household heads and water committee members in the rural communities of Muyuka. Three communities were randomly selected and from each, five quarters were randomly selected. In the quarters, convenience sampling technique was used for the household heads while snowball sampling technique was used to get the water committee members. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used and data analyzed using R.Results:A total of 371 persons participated in the study. The average number of years lived in the community was 22.08 (SD=10.61) and ranged from 10 to 66. Only 13.00% of the participant didn’t see the water system as challenging while 81.5% finds it to be severely problematic. Utilization of water averaged far less than the 50L/person/day and the situation worsened as the household size increased. Close to half (49.6%) of participants did not participate at any stage in the development of the water system. According to the participants, water systems breaks down averagely 3 times in a year and last for about 67 days before being repaired. Water committee members reported difficulties in accessing spare parts and inadequacy in their training.Conclusion:Frequent breakdown of the water schemes compounded by the unavailability of spare parts and hence delays in repairs, and in expansion, user dissatisfaction and unwillingness to pay their bills; inadequacy in training of water committee members, has resulted in poor sustainability of the water system

A study on health problems among government primary school children in rural area of Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh

Background: “To learn effectively, children need good health” says the World Health Organization’s Expert committee on school health services. Inspite of the primary health care that exists in India, yet it is unable to cover the health needs of school children, especially the primary school children. To know their health status and influencing factors, a study is designed in the rural area of Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. Methods: A cross sectional study design was used to assess the health condition of the rural government primary school children at school and socio-demographic data at their home during the period July to December 2016. A sample of 683 children from 20 schools was included in the study. The data was analyzed and inferences were drawn. Results: 38.79% of the rural government primary school children had one or more health problem. Dental problems were found in 21.66% followed by skin problems in 8.05%, nutritional defects in 7.61%, eye disorders in 6.88% and ENT problems in 22.84%. Only 5.42% had good personal hygiene. Majority of the children were poor belonging to the socioeconomic status of class IV (19.62%) and class V (76.60%). 83.39% of the children with health problems had poor housing conditions. Conclusions: More than 2/3rd was found suffering from health problem which was almost equally distributed among boys and girls. The suffering children were almost 95% from lower socioeconomic status and 83% with poor housing conditions.

The style of mothering and its determinants: a study among mothers of lower primary school children

Background: The first teacher and everlasting support for a child is his/her mother. Mother–child bonds remain so strongly throughout one’s life in spite of the changing times and complexities of life. Literature suggests that elements of warmth and control from parents, especially mothers positively correlated with achievement and intellectual orientation in children. Objectives were to assess the various styles of mothering and its determinants in mothers of children studying in lower primary schools and residing in Adat panchayat, Thrissur, Kerala.Methods: A community based descriptive study was conducted among 315 mothers of lower primary school children residing in Adat panchayat, Thrissur. Data was collected using Parental Authority Questionnaire.Results: Mean age of mothers was 31.9 years. 73% mothers were practicing predominantly authoritative parenting style, 24% were authoritarian and only 3% were permissive style. The type of family and current age of mothers were significantly associated with the style of mothering. Mothering style did not differ with the gender of children. Occupation of mothers had a significant difference in proportion of parenting styles. The working status of either or both parents significantly influenced the mothering styles.Conclusions: Most mothers followed predominantly authoritative style. Responsive and demanding behaviour of mothers vary significantly with respect to type of family, current age and employment status.

Study the Association of Serotonin and Serotonin Transporter Concentration with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Sample of Iraqi Primary School Children

Objective: The current research focuses on neurotransmitter serotonin levels and the work was planned to study the comparison between children (female and male) as well as the special need children (with abnormal behaviors ADHD). Materials and methods: Total 86 children from certain primary school were selected, 56 of them were with ADHD (27 boys and 29 girls were present) and 30 healthy individuals (16 boy and 14 girls). ADHD was diagnosed by certain questionnaire form prepared for this study, blood samples were gathered, and were send for serotonin examination which was achieved with a certain enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA). Results were analyzed using special statistic program (SPSS version 18). Results: The collected data indicate that serotonin level was high (121.70 ± 4.05 ng/ml) in ADHD children compared with normal children (85.64 ± 2.43 ng/ml), and highly significant decrease in level of serotonin transporter in ADHD than in control samples (9.87 ± 0.29; 13.17 ± 0.50 ng/ml correspondingly). Conclusion: The increase and decrease in the level of serotonin serum and serotonin transporters could be related to the environmental issues that contribute to the disruption of behavior particularly rise in poor security and hot regions.

Influences of Gender, Religion, Dietary Patterns, and Mixed-sex Education on Aggressiveness in Children: A Sociodemographic Study in Municipal Primary Schools of South Delhi

Background: Increasing antisocial and violent behaviors in adolescents and young adults present serious challenges for public health. Children with persistent high levels of aggressiveness are often associated with developing conduct disorders later in life. Early detection of highly aggressive children and sociodemographic risk-modifying factors are important for developing effective preventive strategies. Objectives: The present study was undertaken to assess levels of aggressiveness for detecting highly aggressive children in sample populations of primary school children in an urban setting and determine significant biosociocultural risk-modifying factors in this scenario. Methods: The study was conducted during August朣eptember, 2015 in 5 primary schools of South Delhi Municipal Corporation. Sociodemographic data on 2080 students were collected. Overall aggressiveness scores (OA-Scores) were estimated using a self-report questionnaire in Hindi. Results: Categorizing students according to their OA-Scores, the data revealed that highly aggressive children constituted 4.3% of the study population. Analysis showed significant influence of (a) gender: boys displayed higher levels of aggressiveness compared to girls; (b) dietary pattern: omnivores showed higher aggressiveness than vegetarians; and (c) school environment: boys in mixed-sex (coeducational) schools displayed lower aggressiveness than from single-sex schools. Statistically significant influences of religion (Hindu/Muslim) and family type (joint/nuclear) on aggressiveness profiles were not noticeable. Conclusions: Vegetarian diets and mixed-sex education act as protective factors in the development of aggressiveness in children, especially among boys. Extending investigations to populations differing in geography and cultural backgrounds are warranted to verify present results.

Prevalence of dental fluorosis among primary school children in association with different water fluoride levels in Mysore district, Karnataka.

Background: Fluoride intake at optimal level decreases the incidence of dental caries. However, excessive intake, especially during developmental stages can cause adverse effects such as dental and skeletal fluorosis. Aim: To assess the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis in primary school children born and raised in three villages of Mysore District. The three selected villages have different water fluoride concentrations. Materials and Methods: Three villages namely, Nerale (water fluoride 2.0 ppm), Belavadi (1.2 ppm) and Naganahally (0.4 ppm) were selected for the study. Then, a total of 405 children, 10–12‑year‑old (204 [50.4%] males and 201 [49.60%] females) were selected from three schools of the villages. Dean’s fluorosis index recommended by World Health Organization was used to evaluate fluorosis among the study population. Results: The overall prevalence of dental fluorosis was found to be 41.73%. An increase in the community fluorosis index (CFI) was higher among those living in high water fluoride area. Conclusion: A significantly positive correlation was found between CFI and water fluoride concentration in drinking water.

Mismatch Between Furniture Dimension And Anthropometric Measures Among Primary School Children In Putrajaya

Ergonomic is important in classroom. Sitting for protracted period in class may lead students to develop musculoskeletal disorders. Their physical health and performance in the class may increase by designing school furniture that match with human body. In Malaysia, there is a lack of ergonomic assessment for school environment especially in urban areas. The aim of this study is to determine the mismatch between the furniture dimension and anthropometric parameters among primary school children in Putrajaya. This is a cross-sectional study which involved 100, Year 1 and Year 6 primary school students randomly selected in Putrajaya. Five anthropometric measurements (popliteal height, buttock popliteal length, elbow height, shoulder height (sitting), hip breadth) as well as five furniture dimensions (seat height, seat depth, seat width, backrest height and seat to desk height) were measured. Instrument used is Martin type anthropometer set, SECA body meter, and SECA weighing scale. Calculation for determining mismatch between the furniture and anthropometric measures were calculated using a standard mismatch formula. There was 100% mismatch for seat height, seat depth, and seat to seat to desk height for Year 1. As for Year 6, mismatch was reported 100% for backrest height and seat to desk height. There were significance difference for parameters of popliteal height between Year 1 and Year 6 and between male and female of Year 1. There was a presence of mismatch between furniture dimension and children anthropometric measurement. Proposed dimension of furniture shows decrease in percentage of mismatch for the most parameter of anthropometric measurement.

Relationship of Parental Knowledge and Attitude with Oral Health Status of Children in Karachi East.

Objective: This study aims to determine the relationship of parental knowledge and attitude towards their child’s oral habits and health status, and evaluate whether educational status of parents plays a significant role and the level of motivation of parents for child’s regular dental checkup. Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Dental OPD of Dow International Dental College and Fazaia Degree College, April 2014, Karachi East, Pakistan. Methodology: Parents of preschool and primary school going children. A self-designed closed ended type questionnaire was provided in both English and Urdu language. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 16. The relationship between variables was done by frequency distribution and Chi-square test. Results: A total of 200 completed questionnaires were considered for final analysis. 61% of the parents had children of preschool age and 38.5% were primary school going. 56.5% of the subjects had education up to Graduation or higher level. Majority of the parents belonged to Middle class 63%. 82-96% of parents were aware of preventive role of tooth brushing and fluoride. 95.5% considered regular dental checkup important.74-95% of parents showed positive attitude towards factors important for maintenance of oral health. But 64.5% of parents still did not take their child for regular visit to dentist. Conclusions: The study shows that parents have relatively higher knowledge and positive attitude regardless of educational and socioeconomic status, however children still seemed to practice habits which affected their oral health therefore preventive dental programmes should not only focus on educating but developing personal skills in both the parents and young children and improve parents’ attitude on importance of early preventive dental visit.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Among Primary School Children in Shandong Province, China

Although Toxoplasma gondii infection in primary school children has been investigated in many countries, limited surveys have been available in primary school children in China. In the present study, we report the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in primary school children in Shandong province, China. Sera from 6,000 primary school children were evaluated for T. gondii antibodies with ELISA. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was 16.0% (961/6,000), of which 14.5% (870/6,000) were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies, 3.4% (206/6,000) positive for IgM, and 1.9% (115/6,000) were positive for both IgG and IgM. The results of the present investigation indicated a high seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in primary school children in Shandong province, China. Therefore, effective measures should be taken to prevent and control T. gondii infection in primary school children in this province. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of T. gondii seroprevalence in primary school children in Shandong province, China.

Epidemiology and Clinical Features of Atopic Dermatitis in Kerman, a Desert Area of Iran

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic studies of atopic dermatitis (AD) in desert areas are still lacking. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of AD in children in Kerman city, a desert area in Iran. METHODS: We evaluated preschool children (age, 2 to 7 years) and primary school students (age, greater than 7 up to 12 years) in Kerman. We selected 865 students to estimate the prevalence and assess other features of AD such as distribution of lesions, personal history, family history of atopy, aggravating factors, associated symptoms, and morphological variants. RESULTS: The prevalence of AD was 9.1% in our study population. The prevalence of AD was 9.17% and 9.09% in males and females, respectively. The prevalence of AD in the age range of 2 to 7 years was 13.53% and 8.33% among children aged greater than 7 up to 12 years. In total, 82.27% of the patients were in chronic stage of the disease, and 31.6% had a personal history of other atopic diseases. At least one first-degree family member with atopy was seen in 46.83% of the patients. The most common sites of involvement were the head and neck. The most involved areas in the limbs were extensor surfaces. The most frequent morphological variant of AD was the common type. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of AD in Kerman was higher than in other Iranian cities but lower than that in developed countries. Diversity in the clinical features of AD has been observed among different studies, and the diagnostic criteria of AD should be adapted in proportion to the studied area.

Physical injury: A profile among the municipal primary school children of Siliguri, Darjeeling District.

A cross sectional study was conducted from February - May 2009 with the objectives to find out profile of injuries among municipal primary school children in Siliguri, West Bengal and to identify the related factor associated with injury. 20% of total primary schools under municipal corporation of the town were selected and a pre-designed, pre-tested schedule was used to assess the profile of injury and associated factors. The Chi square test was usedto determine statistical significance at the 0.05 significance level. Out of 956 participants, a significantly higher injury was observed among males (68%). Open wound injuries were commonest (59.6%) occurring mainly at the extremities. Falls were mainly responsible for overall injuries. Injury at home (41.8%) was also found to be more. Mother education, number of siblings and presence of caregiver were significant related factors to injury.

Schoolbag Weight, its Content, and Incidence of Back Pain in Different Medium Primary Schools in Kuala Lumpur

Introduction: Schoolbag weight across different types of school and schoolbag content has not been studied in Malaysia.This cross sectional survey determines the weight of schoolbags, its content and occurence of back pain among primary school children in different medium primary school in Kuala Lumpur.Methods: Students' body weight, and schoolbags weight were measured using a calibrated scale. Schoolbag content was examined, and weighed according to necessary learning materials or unnecessary materials. Back pain in the past one week was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire, adapted from previous studies. Results: A total of 358 students (167 male, 191 female) were enrolled, of which 119 were from National School (NS), 122 from Chinese Medium School (CMS) and 117from Tamil Medium School (TMS). The mean schoolbag weight was 4.55 ± 1.62kg for NS, 8.53 ± 1.94kg for CMS and 6.06 ± 2.09kg for TMS, which was 11.7%, 22.0% and 16.6% of body weight, respectively. The mean weight of unnecessary schoolbag content was 0.64(0.91)kg for NS, 2.18 (1.49) kg for CMS and 1.96(1.56) for TMS students. Back pain was detected in 87.0% NS students, 68.0% CMS students and 66.7% TMS students. Significant asociation was found between occurence of back pain and types of school (X²=16.64,p=0.00). Conclusions: Students from all the three mediums primary school, in particular Chinese medium school carry school bag heavier than that generally recommended, with unnecessary materials weigh up to 2kg. The occurence of back pain is high and this is associated with the types of school.