Height of Medial Longitudinal Arch in Healthy Adults Within Different Categories of BMI

TL;DR

This study found no significant link between BMI and foot arch height, but found that gender and footwear type influence arch type in healthy adults.

Contribution

The study introduces the use of the normalized truncated navicular height method to assess medial longitudinal arch height in relation to BMI and other factors.

Findings

No significant correlation was found between BMI and medial longitudinal arch height.

High arches were more common in underweight individuals, while low arches were more common in overweight and obese individuals.

Gender and footwear type significantly influenced foot arch type.

Abstract

Background: Alteration in the height of this medial arch increases the propensity for lower limb injuries. The aim of the current study was to identify variations in the height of the medial arch across BMI categories. Another objective of this study was to assess the variation in medial longitudinal arch (MLA) height across BMI categories using the normalized truncated navicular height (NTNH) method in a healthy adult population.

Method: We screened 360 healthy adults aged 18-45 years. We used the NTNH method to measure arch height, an index card to measure navicular height, and the footprints of the subjects to measure truncated foot length. We divided the navicular height by the truncated foot length to determine the NTNH and used the values to classify the foot arch as either low, normal, or high.

Results: Pearson’s chi-square test revealed no statistically significant correlation between BMI and the arch type of the left and right foot (p=0.097, p=0.136) or BMI and maintaining a prolonged position (p=0.212, p=0.399). However, there was a significant correlation of the left and right arch type with gender (p<0.001, p<0.001) and the type of footwear worn (p=0.008, p=0.047). The odds ratio revealed that high arches were more prevalent in the underweight group, and low arches were more prevalent in the overweight group.

Conclusion: No statistically significant correlations were found between BMI and medial arch height. However, the foot arch type correlated significantly with gender and the type of footwear worn by the subjects, though not with remaining in one position for a prolonged period. High arches were more prevalent in the underweight group, and low arches were more prevalent in the overweight group and the obese group.