Musculoskeletal disorders in school-aged children: An overview of systematic reviews.

BACKGROUND Musculoskeletal disorders in children are a significant public health problem, associated with disability and reduced quality of life. Despite growing evidence, it remains fragmented across conditions, limiting its application in practice and policy.

OBJECTIVE To synthesize evidence from systematic reviews on the prevalence, risk factors, assessment methods, and interventions for musculoskeletal disorders in school-aged children.

METHODS We conducted an overview of systematic reviews following the PRIOR guidelines. Searches were conducted in CENTRAL, MEDLINE/PubMed, and Scopus on April 8, 2025, supplemented by reference checking. Two reviewers independently selected studies, extracted data, and assessed methodological quality using AMSTAR-2. A descriptive synthesis was performed.

RESULTS From 1137 records, 36 systematic reviews were included. Findings were grouped into prevalence, risk factors, assessment methods, and interventions. Prevalence estimates varied widely, ranging from approximately 1% for scoliosis to over 20% for chronic pain and up to 70% for spinal pain in some populations. Risk factors consistently associated with MSDs included female sex, overweight/obesity, family history of pain, low socioeconomic status, low bone mineral density, and joint hypermobility; sedentary behaviors and psychosocial factors showed weaker associations. Valid assessment methods included multimodal scoliosis screening and footprint/posture indices for flatfoot, though heterogeneity limited comparability. Evidence suggests that exercise-based and psychological therapies are beneficial, including Pilates-based programs and physiotherapeutic scoliosis-specific exercises, with orthoses beneficial only in symptomatic flatfoot.

CONCLUSION Musculoskeletal disorders are reported across systematic reviews in school-aged children. Evidence from systematic reviews indicates consistent risk factors, heterogeneous assessment methods, and benefits associated with exercise-based and psychological interventions.