STUDY DESIGN: A questionnaire-based identification of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients and measure of Short Form-12 (SF-12) in a big twin-cohort. OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to study the effect that AIS has on the health-related quality of life in the patients. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The effect of AIS on the perceived health status is still unclear. METHODS: All 46,418 twins registered in the Danish Twin Registry born between 1931 and 1982 were sent a questionnaire including SF-12. The questionnaire was returned by 34,944 (75.3%) twins representing 23,204 pairs. RESULTS: A group of 220 subjects considered to have AIS was identified corresponding to a prevalence of 1.05%. In this group, the SF-12 could be calculated in 187 twins. CONCLUSION: We found the perceived both mental and physical health status from SF-12 to be moderately but significantly worse than in controls. Approximately 75% of the twins with AIS reported to have the same or a better health than their twin- and age-matched peers.
STUDY DESIGN: A questionnaire-based identification of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients and measure of Short Form-12 (SF-12) in a big twin-cohort. OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to study the effect that AIS has on the health-related quality of life in the patients. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The effect of AIS on the perceived health status is still unclear. METHODS: All 46,418 twins registered in the Danish Twin Registry born between 1931 and 1982 were sent a questionnaire including SF-12. The questionnaire was returned by 34,944 (75.3%) twins representing 23,204 pairs. RESULTS: A group of 220 subjects considered to have AIS was identified corresponding to a prevalence of 1.05%. In this group, the SF-12 could be calculated in 187 twins. CONCLUSION: We found the perceived both mental and physical health status from SF-12 to be moderately but significantly worse than in controls. Approximately 75% of the twins with AIS reported to have the same or a better health than their twin- and age-matched peers.