Living with Idiopathic Scoliosis: Quality of Life Assessment Using SRS-22r in a Southeast Asian Adolescent Population

Abstract This study assesses the quality of life of adolescents with untreated idiopathic scoliosis compared to their healthy contemporaries in Brunei Darussalam using the Scoliosis Research Society outcome questionnaire (SRS-22r). We retrospectively reviewed data on SRS-22r administered to patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS group) and prospectively issued SRS-22r to healthy volunteers (control group). The total scores and scores for function or activity, pain, self-image or appearance, and mental health domains were compared using standard statistical analyses. Data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism version 11.0.0 (GraphPad Software, Inc.). The scores for all four domains and the total score were compared between the AIS and control groups using the independent t-test with Welch's correction. Comparison between the control group and each of the scoliosis severity (mild, moderate, and severe) and curve type (thoracic, lumbar, and thoracic/lumbar) subgroups were performed using Welch's analysis of variance test with post-hoc Dunnett's multiple comparisons test. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. A total of 109 patients in the AIS group (mean age, 15.5 years; range, 12–19 years) and 389 individuals in the control group (mean age, 14.5 years; range, 12–18 years) were analyzed. Compared to the control group, the AIS group had significantly lower total SRS-22r scores (3.69 vs. 3.83, p < 0.01) and self-image scores (3.27 vs. 3.87, p < 0.001). Pain (4.15 vs. 4.28, p = 0.06) and function (3.84 vs. 3.88, p = 0.47) domains were not significantly different between the groups. Patients with minor to severe scoliosis had lower self-image domain scores than healthy individuals. Bruneian adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis demonstrated lower SRS-22r total scores compared to peers, with self-image showing the largest between-group difference.