School screening for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in China: a five-year evaluating the evaluation in Zhongshan city.
School screening confirmed adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in most students referred for evaluation
School screening for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in China: a five-year evaluating the evaluation in Zhongshan city.
Early detection of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis) is crucial to prevent progression to severe cases.
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of a school-based scoliosis screening (scoliosis screening) program in Zhongshan, China, and assess trends in case severity, with recommendations for improving future screening protocols.
A longitudinal cohort study was conducted annually from 2017 to 2021, involving middle school students from three grade levels across multiple schools in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, China.
Over the five-year study period, 7,764 students screened positive for suspected scoliosis, of whom 51.6% (n = 4,376) underwent further diagnostic evaluation.
The estimated prevalence of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis over the five years was 1.08%.
Girls had higher positivity and positive predictive value than boys and a greater proportion of severe cases.
The scoliosis screening program in Zhongshan identified students at risk and achieved a high diagnostic yield among those undergoing radiographic evaluation.
Sex- and grade-related patterns may help refine future screening strategies and support more targeted approaches to early detection and intervention.