October 31, 2019
Keio University School of Medicine
The Scoliosis and Lifestyle Research Group, including Professor Morio Matsumoto and Associate Professor Kota Watanabe from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, and Professor Yuji Nishiwaki and Associate Professor Keiko Asakura from the Department of Hygiene, Division of Social Medicine, Toho University School of Medicine, conducted a study in collaboration with the Tokyo Preventive Medical Association. They investigated lifestyle habits associated with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (hereinafter "scoliosis") in the Japanese population and found no clear association between scoliosis and dietary habits.
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a condition that develops from late elementary school to junior high school, where the spine curves and twists as the individual grows. Over 90% of scoliosis cases occur in girls, and its incidence rate is said to be 1–2% among female junior high school students.
Children with scoliosis and their guardians often have concerns about their daily diet, specifically regarding which nutrients and foods should be consumed or avoided. However, until now, there have been no clear answers to these questions and worries.
In light of this situation, the research group conducted X-ray examinations and a detailed questionnaire survey on the dietary habits of 2,431 female junior high school students who underwent a secondary screening for scoliosis. The results revealed no clear association between scoliosis and the intake of any of the examined nutrients and foods, including those previously thought to be related to developmental abnormalities of the spine in animal and human studies.
These findings will allow children with scoliosis and their families to obtain accurate information about the relationship between scoliosis and dietary habits, which is expected to alleviate their lifestyle-related anxieties.
The results of this study were published on October 1 in "Nutrients," a comprehensive scientific journal in the field of human nutrition.
Please see below for the full press release.