Screening for foot problems in children: is this practice justifiable?

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatric Podiatry
• Screening Program Evaluation

Background:

• Community health screening programs, including those for tuberculosis, breast, cervical, and prostate cancers, are common in Australia.
• Podiatry screening for children is frequently conducted, often without robust data to justify its necessity or efficacy.
• Established criteria for assessing screening program merits, such as those from the World Health Organization (WHO), are crucial for evaluating worthiness.

Discussion:

• This review evaluates pediatric podiatry screening against WHO criteria, comparing it to successful programs like developmental dysplasia of the hip screening.
• The frequency of pediatric foot posture issues necessitates careful consideration of screening program justification.
• Screening programs require demonstrable disease burden and proven benefits from early identification to be considered worthwhile.

Key Insights:

• Current podiatry screening practices for children do not align with established WHO screening program criteria.
• There is a lack of sufficient evidence to support the continuation or implementation of pediatric podiatry screening.
• The benefits of early identification through podiatry screening in children are not clearly demonstrated.

Outlook:

• Further research is needed to establish evidence-based guidelines for pediatric podiatry care.
• Future screening initiatives must rigorously adhere to WHO criteria to ensure public health resource effectiveness.
• Focus should shift towards evidence-based interventions rather than broad, unvalidated screening practices for pediatric foot conditions.