[Evaluation of the school health program for the detection of vertebral deformities]

To evaluate the prevalence of deformities of the vertebral column in the child population of a rural area; the index of false positives that diagnoses in the School Health programme generate; and the percentage of children where the diagnosis is confirmed and the treatment is then followed.

Descriptive observational study. SITE. Public and private Schools of the Basic Areas of Sanlúcar la Mayor and Olivares, and the Rehabilitation Unit of Sanlúcar la Mayor Health Centre.

4120 children from the first, fifth and eighth years of EGB, in 1989 and 1990.

Pathology was suspected in 5% of the children examined. 64.59% attended Rehabilitation and anomalies were confirmed in 51.85%. The level of false positives in the screening was about 48%. In 54% of the confirmed cases, Physiotherapy was indicated; in one case, Surgery; and in one case orthesis. There were no important differences as to the prevalence of Pathology among the three age groups studied. (p = 0.05).

In spite of the small number of anomalies confirmed, their detection by means of a simple method allowed evolution to be watched and early treatment started when necessary. The low productivity of the examination was due to the high number of children that did not attend for the confirmation of the diagnosis (35%), and the false positives that the screening generated (48%).