Prevalence of trunk abnormalities in eleven-year-old schoolchildren in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

The prevalence of trunk abnormalities was studied in 4,915 children aged 11 years (2,528 boys, 2,387 girls); 33% of the children were of non-Dutch origin. The following measurements were recorded: height, weight, signs of puberty, and menarche. Trunk abnormality was assessed in the erect child (asymmetry of shoulders, waistline, imbalance of the trunk, scoliosis, lordosis, kyphosis, swayback, and flexibility) and by the forward bending test (rib hump or lumbar prominence, persistence of scoliosis, kyphosis, deviant lateral aspect); 85.9% of boys and 81.3% of girls were symmetric, and abnormal forward bending test was noted in 7.1% of boys and 10.6% of girls. In non-Dutch girls, trunk abnormalities were more prevalent.