Scoliosis and related factors among elementary school students of Khmer ethnic group in Tra Vinh province in 2021

Abstract

The prevalence of scoliosis among Vietnam’s elementary school students is increasing, leading to various physical and psychological problems. The study aims to describe the situation and some factors related to scoliosis in primary school students of Khmer ethnic group in Tra Vinh province in 2021. A cross - sectional study was conducted among 465 elementary school students at two Khmer primary schools - Nguyen Trai and Hiep Hoa A. We clinically examined children to detect scoliosis after getting their parents’ permission. Univariate logistic regression was used to identify factors related to scoliosis. The results indicate that 16.13% of the students have scoliosis, 3.87% among which have spinal curvature (kyphosis or lordosis) and 12.47%
have scoliosis curve. Finally, scoliosis is found to be significantly associated with other factors such as gender, BMI, and living area (p < 0.05). Parents and teachers of primary school students need to take regular care of students’ living and learning environment, as well as provide a reasonable diet to promote bone health among them.