The epidemiology of "schooliosis".
Questionnaires submitted to children subsequent to school screening for scoliosis reveal that 13% of respondents recall being referred to a physician. This rate is considerably higher than the 3% referral rate reported by school health officials. The discrepancy points to misperceptions by students and their parents as a likely cause of "schooliosis, " a condition which brings a flood of normal children into the offices of orthopaedists and pediatricians. Correcting possible communications problems, rather than blaming the screening program, should ease the over-referral phenomenon and allow screening to continue at its present efficient levels.
Dvonch
V M
VM
Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, Illinois.
Siegler
A H
AH
Cloppas
C C
CC
Bunch
W H
WH
D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D006296:Health Services; D006300:Health Services Misuse; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000592:standards*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires