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Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Translated Title

桃園地區青少年扁平足盛行率

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of flatfoot is various among each age group, and whether children with flatfoot should receive treatment or not is still controversial. Most studies of flatfoot in Taiwan place emphases on children but not on teenagers. This research aimed to establish a database of a prevalence of flatfoot among Taiwanese local teenagers.Methods: Five hundred forty-four 12- to 14-year-old teenagers in Taoyuan were enrolled in this study. Footprint analysis methods were used to diagnose a flatfoot (plantar arch index more than 1.15 or Denis grade equal or more than grade 1 or footprint index less than 1 cm). The height, body weight, and body mass index were recorded and compared using independent t tests to identify the statistical significances between teenagers with and without a flatfoot. Results: The prevalence of flatfoot in teenagers in Taoyuan, Taiwan, ranged from 11.6% to 37.6%. This variation was attributed to the different footprint analysis methods used. The prevalence of flatfoot was highly correlated with body weight and body mass index. Conclusions: The prevalence of flatfoot in teenagers in Taoyuan, Taiwan, was relatively higher than that reported in other studies. The causes may be the initial differences between races and the increased body weight of teenagers in Taiwan. These hypotheses need further studies to confirm.

Language

English

First Page

223

Last Page

228

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