Prevalence of Flatfoot and Its Correlation with Age, Gender and BMI among Undergraduates at the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, General Sir John Kotelawela Defence University

Pes planus or flatfeet is a postural deformity which leads the entire sole of the foot to completely or near-completely touch the ground. Pes planus deformity occurs due to collapse of foot arches which can be congenital or pathological. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of flatfoot condition among undergraduates at the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences (FAHS), General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) and its correlation with age, gender and BMI. A cross sectional study was conducted among 533 participants (Male = 131, Female = 402). Interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the demographic data.BMI was calculated by obtaining height and weight measurements. Arch index method was used to determine the foot type taken using the Modified Harris Mat. The data analysis was done using SPSS software version 23. P value of less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The study was done among people aged 19 to 26. The prevalence of flatfoot among this age group was 34.7% (n = 185). Most of them are bilateral flat feet (73.5%), only 26.5% are unilateral flat feet. The proportion of patients with flat footedness was significantly higher in women (75%) than in men (25%).BMI in the overweight and obese categories (BMI > 23) was statistically significant (p < 0.05), which is 164 (52.4%). Study shows a statistically significant association between flatfoot and increasing BMI beyond normal (p < 0.05). There is no significant association between flatfoot with age and gender. Prevalence of flatfoot among allied health undergraduates was seemingly high requiring screening for early detection and appropriate referral for corrective measures.