title: A cross-sectional study on the development of foot arch function of 2715 Chinese children.
abstract: A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the foot arch function of Chinese children. A total of 2715 children, 1246 girls, and 1369 boys, 4-18 years of age were recruited from kindergartens, primary, and secondary schools. The dynamic footprints of the children were collected using a portable pressure-sensing mat. The Contact Force Ratio (CFR, i.e. the ratio of the mid-foot loading to the total loading of the contacted foot, with the toes ignored) of each age group was calculated. In general, the CFR decreased from 4 to 10 years and plateaued at 10-12 years and then increased until 15-16 years. An abnormal low arch foot was defined as the foot that had a CFR value larger than the corresponding age mean plus one standard deviation. The cut-off CFR values of each age group were calculated. With the exception of the 17 years age group, which consisted of a relatively small number of subjects, the percentage of low arch subjects of all the other age groups ranged from 15 to 20%.
authors.affiliation: Jockey Club Rehabilitation Engineering Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China. rcaaron@polyu.edu.hk
authors.forename: A K L
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: J C Y
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: A F T
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Mak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005413:Flatfoot / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005528:Foot / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005531:Foot Deformities, Acquired / Q000517:prevention & control; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors