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The relationship between foot posture, body mass, age and ankle, lower‐limb and whole‐body flexibility in healthy children aged 7 to 15 years

Overview of attention for article published in Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, April 2016
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Title
The relationship between foot posture, body mass, age and ankle, lower‐limb and whole‐body flexibility in healthy children aged 7 to 15 years
Published in
Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, April 2016
DOI 10.1186/s13047-016-0144-7
Pubmed ID
Authors

Fiona Hawke, Keith Rome, Angela Margaret Evans

Abstract

The complex relationship between foot posture, flexibility, body mass and age in children is not well understood. The objectives of this post hoc analysis were to explore the relationships between foot posture, flexibility, body mass in children aged seven to 15 years. Thirty healthy, asymptomatic children (20 girls, 10 boys) aged 7 to 15 years with a mean age (SD) of 10.7 (2.3) years, were recruited through the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Podiatry Clinic, Auckland, New Zealand. Clinical data were collected by a podiatrist with 20 years' experience and included: height and weight (for Body Mass Index), Foot Posture Index-6 (FPI), Beighton score, Lower Limb Assessment Scale score (LLAS); and ankle lunge angle. For this post hoc analysis, Pearson's test and Spearman's rho were used to explore relationships between variables. Statistical significance level was p < 0.05. Data for each of the 30 participants for each variable were included in analyses, which returned the following statistically significant results: higher FPI was associated moderately with higher Beighton score (r = 0.44, p = 0.01); greater lunge angle was associated moderately with higher Beighton (r = 0.40, p = 0.02) and LLAS (r = 0.42, p = 0.02) scores; older age was associated strongly with higher BMI (r = 0.52, p = <0.01) and moderately with lower Beighton (r = -0.41, p = 0.024) and LLAS (r = -0.40, p = 0.03) scores; and higher Beighton score was associated strongly with higher LLAS (r = 0.85, p = <0.01). There was no difference in foot posture between girls and boys (p = 0.21). In this sample of healthy, asymptomatic children age 7 to 15 years, children with a more pronated foot type exhibited greater lower limb and whole-body flexibility, but not greater ankle joint flexibility. There was strong agreement between lower-limb and whole-body flexibility. This study highlights the importance of assessing the paediatric flat foot in the context of a developing body.

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Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 125 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Bachelor 22 18%
Student > Master 13 10%
Student > Postgraduate 10 8%
Student > Ph. D. Student 10 8%
Other 9 7%
Other 22 18%
Unknown 39 31%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Nursing and Health Professions 31 25%
Medicine and Dentistry 24 19%
Sports and Recreations 10 8%
Neuroscience 4 3%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 3 2%
Other 13 10%
Unknown 40 32%