Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Apr;11(4):LC22-LC27.
doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2017/24362.9697. Epub 2017 Apr 1.

Flat Foot in a Random Population and its Impact on Quality of Life and Functionality

Salvador Pita-Fernandez  1 , Cristina Gonzalez-Martin  2 , Francisco Alonso-Tajes  2 , Teresa Seoane-Pillado  1 , Sonia Pertega-Diaz  1 , Sergio Perez-Garcia  2 , Rocio Seijo-Bestilleiro  1 , Vanesa Balboa-Barreiro  1
Affiliations

Flat Foot in a Random Population and its Impact on Quality of Life and Functionality

Salvador Pita-Fernandez et al. J Clin Diagn Res. 2017 Apr.

Abstract

Introduction: Flat foot is a common deformity in adults. It is characterized by medial rotation and plantar flexion of the talus, eversion of the calcaneus, collapsed medial arch and abduction of the forefoot.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of flat foot and its impact on quality of life, dependence, foot pain, disability and functional limitation among random population of 40-year-old and above.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study in a random population sample from Cambre (A Coruña-Spain) (n=835) was performed (α =0.05; Precision=±3.4%). The diagnosis of flat foot was stablished by the study of the footprint obtained with a pedograph. Anthropometric variables were studied, Charlson's Comorbidity Index, function and state of foot (Foot Function Index (FFI), Foot Health Status Questionnaire (FHSQ)), quality of life (SF-36), and dependence for activities of daily living (Barthel and Lawton index). A logistic and linear multiple regression analysis was performed.

Results: The prevalence of flat foot was 26.62%. Patients with flat foot were significantly older (65.73±11.04 vs 61.03±11.45-year-old), showed a higher comorbidity index (0.92±1.49 vs 0.50±0.98), had a greater BMI (31.45±5.55 vs 28.40±4.17) and greater foot size (25.16±1.66 vs 24.82±1.65). The presence of flat foot diminishes the quality of life, as measured by the FHSQ, and foot function, measured by the FFI. The presence of flat foot does not alter the physical and mental dimension of the SF-36 or the degree of dependence.

Conclusion: Flat foot was associated with age, Charlson's Comorbidity Index, BMI and foot size. The SF-36, Barthel and Lawton questionnaires remained unaltered by the presence of flat foot. The FHSQ and FFI questionnaires did prove to be sensitive to the presence of flat foot in a significant manner.

Keywords: Podiatrist; Podiatry; Prevalence.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

[Table/Fig-6]:
[Table/Fig-6]:
Area under the curve (AUC) to predict flat foot according to different variables.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Richie DH. Biomechanics and clinical analysis of the adult acquired flatfoot. Clin Podiatr Med Surg. 2007;24(4):617–44. - PubMed
    1. Ozan F, Doğar F, Gençer K, Koyuncu, Vatansever F, Duygulu F, et al. Symptomatic flexible flatfoot in adults: subtalar arthroereisis. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2015;11:1597–602. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Menz HB, Fotoohabadi MR, Wee E, Spink MJ. Visual categorisation of the arch index: a simplified measure of foot posture in older people. J Foot Ankle Res. 2012;5(1):10. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Murley GS, Menz HB, Landorf KB. A protocol for classifying normal- and flat-arched foot posture for research studies using clinical and radiographic measurements. J Foot Ankle Res. 2009;2:22. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Queen RM, Mall NA, Hardaker WM, Nunley JA. Describing the medial longitudinal arch using footprint indices and a clinical grading system. Foot Ankle Int. 2007;28(4):456–62. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources