Large-scale school scoliosis screening in a multi-ethnic, high-altitude region of southwestern China: an epidemiological study of 69,811 children and adolescents.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To establish the first large-scale epidemiological profile of scoliosis among children and adolescents in Yunnan, China, and identify key demographic, anthropometric, and geographic determinants in this multi-ethnic, high-altitude region.

Study design

A population-based cross-sectional screening survey using multistage stratified cluster sampling.

Methods

A population-based cross-sectional survey of 69,811 students aged 6-18 was conducted in 2021 using multistage stratified cluster sampling across Yunnan, which included demographic information (gender, ethnicity, grade), anthropometric measurements (height, weight), and scoliosis outcomes (presence and severity assessed via scoliometer-based Angle of Trunk Rotation). Regional covariates (altitude, economic

SUBMITTER: Song S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12592162 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature