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Foot morphology in normal-weight, overweight, and obese schoolchildren

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Abstract

This study compared the foot morphology of Spanish schoolchildren based on their body mass index and age and analyzed whether body mass index affects the child’s foot development at primary school. Cross-sectional study of 1,032 schoolchildren (497 boys and 535 girls), 6–12 years old. Height and weight were measured to calculate body mass index. Children were classified as obese, overweight, and normal-weight. Measurements of foot morphology were obtained with a three-dimensional feet digitizer in static standing. Significant differences were found between the feet of children with normal-weight and overweight (2.6 to 9.0 %) and among children with normal-weight and obese for all variables (3.9 to 17.3 %). Differences in width, ball height, and arch height (5.3 to 7.6 %) were only found among overweight and obese children. There were no changes in the foot morphology of children between 6 and 7 years and between 10 and 12 years. Obese children showed more gradual changes in the foot measurements. The average percentage increase by year in children with normal-weight and obese were similar (3.6 and 3.4 %, respectively); however, morphological measurements of the foot of overweight children increased at a faster rate (4.0 %). Conclusion: Excess weight affects the foot structure of children. The differences between age groups seem to indicate that the feet of children with overweight and obesity follow a different growth pattern than that of normal-weight children. With these results, the shoe manufacturers can design shoes for children depending on their age and weight.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

Body mass index

FA:

Footprint angle

CSI:

Chippaux–Smirak index

AI:

Arch index

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Acknowledgments

The present study obtained financial support from the FEDER funds and the Counselling of Education, Science and Culture of the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. We thank the following primary schools from the province of Toledo for their participation in this study: CP San José, CP María del Mar, and CP Condes de Fuensalida (Fuensalida); CP Gregorio Marañón (Huecas); CP Conde de Ruiseñada (Portillo de Toledo); CP Nuestra Señora de la Paz (Santa Cruz del Retamar); CP Nuestra Señora de la Redonda (Villamiel); and CP Alfonso VI, CP La Candelaria, CP Ciudad de Aquisgrán, and CP Santa Teresa (Toledo). We also want to thank INESCOP (Elda, Alicante, Spain) for technical support.

Financial disclosure statement

No party having a direct interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit to us or any organization with which we are associated.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical board review statement

Each author certifies that his institution approved the human protocol for this investigation that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research, and that informed consent for participation in the study was obtained.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grupo de Biomecánica Humana y Deportiva, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071, Toledo, Spain

    Ester Jiménez-Ormeño, Xavier Aguado, Laura Delgado-Abellán & Luis M. Alegre

  2. ASIDCAT (Asociación de Investigación y Desarrollo del Calzado y Afines de Toledo), 45510, Fuensalida, Toledo, Spain

    Laura Mecerreyes

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  1. Ester Jiménez-Ormeño
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  2. Xavier Aguado
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  3. Laura Delgado-Abellán
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  5. Luis M. Alegre
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Correspondence to Luis M. Alegre.

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Jiménez-Ormeño, E., Aguado, X., Delgado-Abellán, L. et al. Foot morphology in normal-weight, overweight, and obese schoolchildren. Eur J Pediatr 172, 645–652 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-013-1944-4

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