Evaluation of the Curvature of the Longitudinal Foot Arch in Children aged 7 and 8 – A Pilot Study
The foot is an essential part of the human body, and a key factor enabling mobility. The proper functioning of the foot depends on its morphological structure and on the proper shape of its arches – transversal and longitudinal. Having in mind that flat feet develop as a succession of different stag...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego
2018-03-01
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| Series: | Central European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://wnus.edu.pl/cejssm/en/issue/757/article/12262/ |
| Summary: | The foot is an essential part of the human body, and a key factor enabling mobility. The proper functioning of the foot depends on its morphological structure and on the proper shape of its arches – transversal and longitudinal. Having in mind that flat feet develop as a succession of different stages, it is important to systematically monitor the development of feet at various phases of a child’s growth. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate longitudinal foot arch curvature in children aged 7 and 8. The study involved 122 children (77 girls and 45 boys) aged 7 and 8 – students of a primary school in Bezrzecze near the city of Szczecin. Body height and weight, and the length and width of the feet were measured. A podoscope was used to determine the curvature of the longitudinal foot arch, which was then expressed on a scale compatible with the Szriter-Gudanow “KY” foot arch curvature index. This non-invasive method enables preventive measures to be taken at critical stages of a child's life. The results for the tested groups of children revealed statistically significant relationships for body height and weight, and the length of the feet between the 7 and 8 year olds. Furthermore, it was observed that the vast majority of the tested children has normal curvature of the longitudinal arch of both the right and left foot. |
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| ISSN: | 2300-9705 2353-2807 |