Table 1.
Sociodemographic characteristics of experimental and control groups
| Characteristic | Experimental (%)a | Control (%)b | χ2 | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||||
| Male | 31 (39.7) | 32 (42.7) | 0.135 | 0.713 |
| Female | 47 (60.3) | 43 (57.3) | ||
| Race | ||||
| Malay | 56 (71.8) | 73 (97.3) | N/A* | N/A* |
| Chinese | 2 (2.6) | 2 (2.7) | ||
| Indian | 16 (20.5) | – | ||
| Others | 4 (5.1) | – | ||
| Transportation to school | ||||
| Walking | 77 (98.7) | 73 (97.3) | 0.381 | 0.537 |
| Using transport | 1 (1.3) | 2 (2.7) | ||
| Perception of schoolbag weight | ||||
| Not heavy | 11 (14.1) | 12 (16.0) | 0.108 | 0.743 |
| Heavy | 67 (85.9) | 63 (84.0) | ||
| Type of bag | ||||
| Backpack | 69 (88.5) | 64 (85.4) | 2.516 | 0.284 |
| Trolley type | 9 (11.5) | 11 (14.6) | ||
| Follows school schedule | ||||
| Yes | 72 (92.3) | 67 (89.3) | 0.407 | 0.524 |
| No | 6 (7.7) | 8 (10.7) | ||
| Brings food/drink in schoolbag | ||||
| Yes | 66 (84.6) | 60 (80.0) | 0.560 | 0.454 |
| No | 12 (15.4) | 12 (20.0) | ||
| Perception of chair | ||||
| Comfort | 58 (74.4) | 61 (81.3) | 1.076 | 0.300 |
| Discomfort | 20 (25.6) | 14 (18.7) | ||
| Perception of desk | ||||
| Comfort | 60 (76.9) | 64 (85.3) | 1.761 | 0.185 |
| Discomfort | 18 (23.1) | 11 (14.7) | ||
| Sport injury | ||||
| Yes | 9 (11.5) | 17 (22.7) | 3.357 | 0.067 |
| No | 69 (88.5) | 58 (77.3) | ||
Notes:
a
n = 78,
b
n = 75;
*
violates the Chi-square contingency table.