Prevalence rates for scoliosis in US adults: results from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
National prevalence estimates of scoliosis in adults, based on the reading of 6594 chest X-rays from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, are presented by age, sex and race. Among US adults aged 25-74 years in 1971-75, the prevalence rate of scoliosis was 8.3%. The prevalence of scoliosis increased across age groups among women (p less than 0.001), but not among men. Women had about twice the prevalence of scoliosis as men; 10.7% versus 5.6% (p less than 0.001). Because scoliosis prevalence rates differed by age and sex, prevalence rates and means for scoliosis status subgroups were adjusted for age and sex. Blacks had a higher rate, although not statistically significant (using alpha = 0.10), of scoliosis than whites: 9.7% versus 8.1%. Bone density of the radius was lower for scoliotics than for non-scoliotics: (287.0 versus 294.0 aluminum equivalency units, p less than 0.001), suggesting a possible association between scoliosis and osteoporosis. The percentage with delayed menarche was higher for scoliotics than non-scoliotics: 37.8 versus 30.8% (p = 0.01). Scoliotic women also had a lower mean age of menstruation termination than non-scoliotic women: 43.4 years versus 44.8 years (p = 0.07). This is the first study to present national prevalence estimates for scoliosis among adults in the US.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008572:Menarche / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States