Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Dec 15:13:1729509.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1729509. eCollection 2025.

Prevalence and associated factors of multi-ethnic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in Longlin, Southwestern China: a school-based cross-sectional study

Chengxiang Hu  1 , Baocheng Lin  1 , Fengtao Li  2 , Zhixing Li  1 , Xiaozhuan Chen  1
Affiliations

Prevalence and associated factors of multi-ethnic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in Longlin, Southwestern China: a school-based cross-sectional study

Chengxiang Hu et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and its associated factors among multi-ethnic schoolchildren in Southwestern China.

Methods: A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted involving 22,814 students aged 10-18 years. Screening comprised the Adams forward bend test; positives underwent radiographic confirmation (Cobb angle ≥10°). Demographic and behavioral data were collected via questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression identified independent associated factors.

Results: The screening positive rate was 3.83%, and the confirmed AIS prevalence rate was 1.37%. While no significant ethnic difference existed in screening positive rates (p = 0.078), the confirmed prevalence rates differed (p = 0.029), being relatively higher in Yi (1.52%) and GeLao (1.54%) adolescents. Girls showed a significantly higher screening positive rate than boys (4.64% vs. 3.12%, p < 0.001), but no statistically significant gender difference was found in the confirmed prevalence rates (p = 0.157). Notably, the positive predictive value was higher in boys (40.90%) than girls (31.72%). Multivariate analysis revealed several factors independently associated with AIS, including abnormal BMI, lack of desk/chair adjustment, poor sleep posture, physical inactivity, improper reading/writing posture, excessive electronic device use, insufficient outdoor activity, inadequate sleep, and frequent sweet consumption.

Conclusion: The AIS prevalence in this multi-ethnic region aligns with global figures. School screening coupled with health interventions targeting modifiable associated factors is essential for AIS prevention and control. Comprehensive health promotion and early intervention targeting the identified significant factors should be an important future direction for AIS prevention.

Keywords: adolescent idiopathic scoliosis; associated factors; cross-sectional study; multi-ethnic region; prevalence.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of AIS screening process and sample selection.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Trends in screening positive rates and confirmed AIS prevalence rates across different ethnic groups.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Trends in screening positive rates and confirmed AIS prevalence rates across different age groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Weinstein SL, Dolan LA, Cheng JC, Danielsson A, Morcuende JA. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Lancet. (2008) 371:1527–37. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60658-3 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Altaf F, Gibson A, Dannawi Z, Noordeen H. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. BMJ. (2013) 346:f2508. doi: 10.1136/bmj.f2508 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hu M, Zhang Z, Zhou X, Gao R, Wang C, Ma J, et al. Prevalence and determinants of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis from school screening in Huangpu district, Shanghai, China. Am J Transl Res. (2022) 14:4132–8. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Fong DY, Lee CF, Cheung KM, Cheng JC, Ng BK, Lam TP, et al. A meta-analysis of the clinical effectiveness of school scoliosis screening. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). (2010) 35:1061–71. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181bcc835 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Luk KD, Lee CF, Cheung KM, Cheng JC, Ng BK, Lam TP, et al. Clinical effectiveness of school screening for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a large population-based retrospective cohort study. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). (2010) 35:1607–14. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181c7cb8c - DOI - PubMed

Supplementary concepts

LinkOut - more resources