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
. 2023 Dec 13;24(1):966.
doi: 10.1186/s12891-023-07082-6.

Magnitude of flat foot and its associated factors among school-aged children in Southern Ethiopia: an institution-based cross-sectional study

Asaminew Birhanu  1 , Khaleel Nagarchi  2 , Firdawek Getahun  3 , Mathewos Alemu Gebremichael  4 , Habtamu Wondmagegn  2
Affiliations

Magnitude of flat foot and its associated factors among school-aged children in Southern Ethiopia: an institution-based cross-sectional study

Asaminew Birhanu et al. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. .

Abstract

Background: Flat foot, also known as pes planus, is a common condition among primary school children and is a leading cause of all clinical visits related to foot problems worldwide. It can cause skeletal problems and joint misalignment. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of flat foot and its associated factors among public primary school children.

Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 1072 school children aged 11 to 18 years. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection and the footprints were used to calculate the plantar arch index. Data were entered into Epi data version 4.6, and analyzed by STATA version 15. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regressions were conducted. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Statistical significance was declared at a P-value < 0.05.

Result: Out of 1022 participants, 105(10.27%) 95%CI: 8.5-12) had a flat foot. Being male (AOR = 2; 95%CI:1.22-3.30), living in highland altitude (AOR = 8.83; 95% CI: 4.64-16.79), living in midland altitude (AOR = 3.32;95% CI:1.75-6.29), living in an urban area (AOR = 2.42;95% CI:1.15-5.09), insufficient physical activity (AOR = 8.78;95% CI: 4.42-12.3), wearing closed-toe shoes (AOR = 2.33;95%CI:1.27-4.28), obesity (AOR = 6.30;95% CI:3.31-11.9), and foot pain (AOR = 3.52;95%CI:2.08-6.27) had a higher likelihood of flat foot as compared to their counterparts.

Conclusion: One in every ten children had a flat foot. Altitude, residence, sex, physical activity, foot pain, body mass index, and type of footwear were found to be factors statistically associated with flat foot. Integrated interventions for children to have sufficient physical activity, wearing sandals, maintaining a healthy body mass index, and flatfoot screening and monitoring are recommended.

Keywords: Ethiopia; Flat foot; Gamo Zone; Magnitude; Pes planus.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Schematic representation of the sampling procedure on magnitude of flat foot and its associated factors among primary school children in Gamo Zone, southern Ethiopia, 2021
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The image of the footprint on plain paper to analyze and determine the PI
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Body mass index for age and sex of public primary school children at Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia 2021
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Keith L. Moore, Arthur F. Dalley AMRA. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Angew Chemie Int Ed. 1967;6(1):522–31.
    1. Wright WG, Ivanenko YP, Gurfinkel VS. Foot anatomy specialization for postural sensation and control. J Neurophysiol. 2012;107(5):1513–1521. doi: 10.1152/jn.00256.2011. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Pranati T, YuvrajBabu K, Ganesh K. Assessment of plantar arch index and prevalence of flat feet among south indian adolescent population. J Pharm Sci Res. 2017;9(4):490–492.
    1. Rose R. Flat feet in children: when should they be treated? Internet Sci Publ. 2011;12(4):39–41.
    1. Ibikunle PO, Ikekwem EC. Prevalence of pes planus. Niger J Med Rehabil. 2017;19(1):1–19.

LinkOut - more resources