Foot Dimensions of Igbo School Children and Adolescents in Enugu Urban

Abstract

Foot dimensions are useful for physical anthropology, forensic medicine and ergonomics. There is paucity of data on foot dimensions of children and adolescents in our environment hence the aim of this study was to establish standard values of foot dimensions in males and females of Igbo school children and adolescents in Enugu urban. This was a cross sectional study of the foot dimensions of one thousand four hundred and ninety eight subjects (807 males and 691 females) from the University of Nigeria Primary and Secondary Schools and Command Day Secondary School. The ages of the subjects ranged from 5-18 years. Their foot dimensions were measured and analyzed. In the 8 year-old and below, the foot length tended to be higher in males than in females but the difference was not statistically significant except in the 6 year-old. In the 9 10 year-old, the foot length was higher in females than in males but was significant only in the 10 year- old. From the 11 year-old, the foot length was higher in males than females. The mean values of foot length of males and females in our study were greater than most of the values for their Caucasian counterparts. The mean foot breadth of males and females increased with age. Males had significantly higher values at all ages except at ages 8, 9 and 10. At 11 years and above, the foot index of males was more than 34cm where as in females it was less than 34cm. Before the age of 11, the values of the foot index in females and males were more than 34cm and 35cm respectively. Our study has presented the foot dimensions of school children and adolescents in Enugu urban. The sexual dimorphism especially from the age of 13 may be useful for forensic medicine and ergonomics. Males have longer and broader feet than the females especially from the age of puberty. These findings are useful to shoe design and selection of shoe sizes. Males and females in the 16 year-old and above in our population had higher mean foot length than their Caucasian counterparts. This is probably one of the adaptations to a tropical climate.