Abstract

SALDIVAR-CERON, Héctor Iván; GARMENDIA RAMIREZ, Alberto; ROCHA ACEVEDO, Marco Antonio  and  PEREZ-RODRIGUEZ, Pedro. Childhood obesity: a risk factor for development of flatfoot. Bol. Med. Hosp. Infant. Mex. [online]. 2015, vol.72, n.1, pp.55-60. ISSN 1665-1146.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmhimx.2015.02.003.

Background: In Mexico, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is 34.4% in school-age children (ENSANUT 2012), which may induce a vicious cycle of flatfoot-plantalgia-sedentarism-obesity, although the presence and degree of flatfoot in school-age children with obesity has not yet been described in a Mexican population. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of flatfoot and its association with obesity in school-age children living in Tampico. Methods: An analytical and cross-sectional study with 1128 students, 48.8% male and 51.2% female, 9- to 11-years of age. Anthropometric measurements (weight and height) were performed. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and obesity was considered a BMI percentile >95. Plantar footprint was photographed via a podoscope using Denis classification to diagnose flatfoot grades. Results: The prevalence of overweight/obesity was 49.1% and of flatfoot was 12.1% (male: 8.1%, female: 4%, p = 0.28). The association between obesity and flatfoot was significant (p <0.001) and there was a 2.5 times higher risk of overweight-obese children compared to those of normal weight. Conclusions: There is an association between obesity and flatfoot. We suggest implementing secondary prevention measures in this population.

Keywords : Childhood obesity; Flatfoot; Epidemiology.