Generalized joint hypermobility among school-aged children in Majmaah region, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) is common among schoolchildren and usually benign. However, it may progressively lead to joint pain and developmental delay. Identifying GJH in school-aged children would facilitate the monitoring of early changes and planning for early rehabilitative intervention. Epidemiological studies addressing the prevalence of GJH among children in the Gulf region and Arab ethnicity are lacking. Hence, we aimed to determine the prevalence, pattern, and factors associated with GJH among school-aged children in the Majmaah region, Saudi Arabia. Male and female school-aged children 8–14 years of age from the Majmaah region of Saudi Arabia participated in this cross-sectional study. Beighton score was used to assess GJH. Personal characteristics such as age, height, weight, body mass index, and handedness were also collected. Descriptive statistics were obtained for personal characteristics, the point prevalence of hypermobility, frequency of Beighton score distribution, and prevalence of GJH. The associations between specific factors and the presence of GJH were analyzed using chi-square and Mann-whitney tests. Using the Beighton score cutoff ≥ 4 and ≥ 6, 15.2% and 7.6% of the school children in our study were diagnosed with GJH respectively. The prevalence of GJH was higher among females (16.8%) than among males (13.4%), but the difference was not statistically significant. The elbow joints (17.2%) were the most common hypermobile joints and the trunk (0.7%) was the least involved. The children with GJH were younger and had lesser BMI compared to children without GJH (P < 0.05). The prevalence reported in this study among school-aged children was comparable with those reported worldwide.

Türk okul çocuklarında hipermobilite: Kasiskelet ağrısı, fiziksel aktivite, denge, ve yaşam kalitesi

“…[6,17,[20][21][22]25,27,28] Others reported no gender difference. [18,19,24,26,29] In our study, the difference in the BS between girls and boys was significant and the prevalence of GJH in girls was higher than boys, but this difference was not significant. Two Turkish studies showed significant female dominance and another one reported no gender difference.…”

“…[28] A study from Saudi Arabia reported the prevalence of GJH 15.2% (cut-off≥4) and 7.6% (cut-off≥6). [29] An Indian study reported 58.8% (cut-off≥4) and 44.4% (cut-off≥6) [30] An Australian study reported 48% (cut-off≥4) and 18.6 % (cut-off≥6). [6] The results of GJH in the United Kingdom were 19.2% (cut-off≥4) and 4.2% (cut-off≥6).…”

Prevalence and Demographic Distribution of Hypermobility in a Random Group of School-Aged Children in Nigeria

“…Although it has been established in the literature that, in general, females are more mobile than males, evidence of gender differences on the different Beighton items has not been conclusive in previous studies [ 9 , 12 , 20 , 29 ]. The inclusion of hands-on-floor as a joint hypermobility test has been debated, as it is highly influenced by training [ 4 ].…”

“…De Boer et al used a Beighton score cut-off of >4, >5, or >6 to identify GJH in a population of 245 Dutch children and reported varying prevalences of 34.1%, 22.5%, and 16.5%, respectively [ 11 ]. Furthermore, a study conducted among 303 Arab school-aged children identified 15.2% and 7.6% of the study population as hypermobile using a Beighton cut-off of ≥4 and ≥6, respectively [ 12 ].…”

Prevalence of text neck posture, smartphone addiction, and its association with neck disorders among university students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Case definitions are a crucial feature of public health surveillance systems ( Coggon, 1999 ). Failure to use case definitions complicates the interpretation of surveillance data and to postulate preventive measures ( Hirve et al, 2020 ; Sirajudeen et al, 2020 ). Lastly, earlier researchers also fail to include a postural evaluation component.…”