Prevalence and determinants of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis from school screening in Huangpu district, Shanghai, China

Objective: To identify the prevalence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and potential disease-related factors in children aged 11 to 16 years in the Huangpu district, Shanghai, China. Methods: A total of 10,731 children (5,518 boys and 5,213 girls) were screened in the year of 2019. The screening process included a bending forward test and scoliometer measurements. The children who were deemed to be at risk for scoliosis from the screening were referred for a X-ray examination to confirm the diagnosis. Data from basic and clinical characteristics of the screened children were collected. Results: 214 children (138 girls and 76 boys, P<0.05) were diagnosed with scoliosis with a prevalence of 2.00%. The mean angel was 15.61 degrees. The groups with the highest prevalence were girls aged 14 and boys aged 15. Conclusion: The prevalence of AIS in Huangpu district, Shanghai, China is 2.00% and is moderatley high, and it can occur more often in female children.