Foot longitudinal arches in obese, overweight and normal weight females who differ in age

Nowadays, excessive body weight is the cause of death of more people than malnutrition. Obesity is a growing health problem worldwide, which also results in a considerable number of movement dysfunctions, including degenerative changes and foot pain. The study aimed to assess the effect of overweight and obesity on the height of foot arches in females aged 10-84 years, as well as to establish which factor - age or BMI - affected the height of medial longitudinal arch (MLA) to a greater extent. Three groups of females (96 pupils, 86 young adults and 88 seniors) were selected to participate in the study. The participants' height and weight were measured, their BMI calculated and their body weight status categorized as normal weight, overweight or obesity. The height of foot arches was assessed using the Arch Index (AI). According to the value of the AI, the foot was defined as high-arched, normal or flat. Differences in participants' AI were determined in their age and weight status groups. Correlations between BMI and AI were calculated for the whole study sample and age groups. The analysis used the Shapiro-Wilk test, the Kruskal-Wallis test and Pearson's linear correlation. Overweight or obesity prevailed in 31% of pupils, 4.7% of young adults and in 77% of seniors. Pupils and young adults had often the high-arched foot. Flat feet were mostly observed in seniors and were common in obese individuals. BMI significantly correlated with the height of the foot arch but their age did not. Excessive body weight contributes to the development of flat feet to a greater extent than age.