Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
Evaluating the Function of the Foot Core System in the Elderly
Published on: March 11, 2022
The relationship between the body mass index (BMI) and foot posture in elderly people
Thaís Rabiatti Aurichio1, José Rubens Rebelatto, Alessandra Paiva de Castro
1Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luís, km 235, São Carlos, São Paulo 13565-905, Brazil.
Abstract:
We wanted to evaluate the postural characteristics of the feet of older people and their relationship with the BMI. We evaluated 227 older women and 172 older men with respect to the BMI, the arch index (AI) and the foot posture index (FPI). The obese women presented mean values for the AI significantly greater than those of the normal and overweight women. The means for some of the criteria of the FPI were significantly higher in the obese men. There was a positive correlation between the BMI and the AI and some of the FPI criteria. The conclusion was that obese women presented flatter feet while obese men presented more pronated feet, indicating a relationship between high BMI values and postural characteristics of the feet of subjects studied.
