Morbidity pattern of musculoskeletal disorders among school children in a selected ward of urban Bengaluru using pediatric Gait, Arms, Legs, and Spine screening tool

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among children are common globally and in India with the prevalence ranging from 4% to 15%. Musculoskeletal symptoms can be due to trauma or growing pains or symptoms of potentially life-threatening conditions such as malignancy, sepsis, and autoimmune disorders. With their indefinite onset and long latent period, early detection of these disorders and prompt treatment reduce the severity of outcomes; hence, screening is necessary. Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the occurrence and describe the morbidity patterns of MSDs among school children in a selected school cluster of urban Bengaluru using the pediatric Gait, Arms, Legs, and Spine (pGALS) screening tool. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done, which included all the students of one randomly selected school cluster in one ward of urban Bengaluru. The total number of students was 260; 37 students did not get their parental consent, and 29 students were chronically absent. The pGALS tool has demonstrated an excellent sensitivity (around 97%) and specificity (around 98%) at all joints with high acceptability among children and parent/guardian and across cultures. Results: The overall occurrence of MSDs based on the pGALS tool among school children was 46.9% (91/194). Males were the most affected than females (males: 51.6% and females: 48.4%). Children in the age group of 10–15 years were most affected by MSDs (51.6%). Conclusion: The prevalence of MSDs is high among school-going children based on the pGALS screening tool, and this may be due to a recent sports event.