Features of the prevalence of flat feet among students in the 5th–9th grades, depending on gender, grade level, and place of residence

Introduction. The condition of the foot is one of the important indicators of the state of health of a growing organism. Deformity of the foot leads to violations of its functions, which reduces the quality of life in children and adolescents. Flat feet are more common among various types of deformity. The assessment of the prevalence of flat feet, taking into account various factors influencing its formation, is due to the need for scientific justification of preventive measures to prevent violations of the structure and function of the foot in children during their growth and development. The aim of the work: to establish the features of the prevalence of flat feet among the 5th–9th grades students, depending on gender, class of study, and place of residence. Materials and methods. There was conducted a mass survey in schoolchildren, attended by 70,470 students in the 5th–9th grades from 28 regions of Russia. The distribution by classes was approximately equal and amounted to 15–18%. The respondents answered the question “Did the doctors notice you to have flat feet?”. The answers included the following options: “No”, “I don’t know”, “Yes”. There was estimated the number of children whose doctors noted flat feet, depending on gender, class of education from 5th to 9th grades, and place of residence (city, urban-type settlement, village). Results. Flat feet were detected in 23.7% of the respondents; 15.8% found it difficult to answer; 60.5% of the students replied that doctors had not identified flat feet. Boys were also shown to have no flat feet more often (27.4%) than girls (20.7%). 57.2% of boys and 63.2% of girls noted the absence of flat feet. The answer “I don’t know” was equally often noted by boys and girls, 15.4% and 16.1%, respectively. A greater number of children with flat feet live in the city (28%), a smaller number in rural areas (16.5%). The intermediate value is 21.3%, typical for children living in urban-type settlements. Conclusion. The data obtained can be used in the development of preventive health-saving programs in the 5th–9th grades students, taking into account gender, class of study, and place of residence.