Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Science of the Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sports, Shanghai, China (mainland).
School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sports, Shanghai, China (mainland).
Med Sci Monit. 2019 Feb 2;25:938-945. doi: 10.12659/MSM.912947.
BACKGROUND We recently reported age and gender differences in foot shape and size in Chinese school children aged between 7-12 years. This study aimed to analyze age and gender differences in foot shape and size in Chinese adolescents aged between 13-18 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 1,252 adolescent boys and 1274 adolescent girls from seven regions in China. Twelve measurements of foot shape were recorded using a video filming system. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) compared the changes in the measurements with age. An independent t-test was used to analyze gender-associated differences in foot size and shape. RESULTS In adolescent boys, foot length and width increased significantly at 13-14 years and heel width, arch height, and fifth metatarsal head height increased until 18 years (P<0.05). In adolescent girls, most foot measurements ceased to increase after 15 years, except for arch height. Adolescent boys showed significantly larger foot length, width, height, and girth compared with adolescent girls (P<0.05) (Cohen's d effect size >0.8). Adolescent boys showed a significant increase in ball width and girth, and instep length and height compared with adolescent girls, who had a longer medial foot length and higher fifth metatarsal head height compared with adolescent boys (P<0.05) (Cohen's d effect size >0.5). CONCLUSIONS Age and gender associated differences were found in foot measurements in Chinese adolescents, aged between 13-18 years. These differences should be considered by shoe manufacturers and when making clinical decisions about normal foot development.
我们最近报道了中国 7-12 岁儿童的足部形状和大小的年龄和性别差异。本研究旨在分析中国 13-18 岁青少年的足部形状和大小的年龄和性别差异。
本研究纳入了来自中国七个地区的 1252 名青少年男孩和 1274 名青少年女孩。使用视频拍摄系统记录了 12 项足部形状测量值。单因素方差分析（ANOVA）比较了各测量值随年龄的变化。独立 t 检验用于分析性别相关的足部大小和形状差异。
在青少年男孩中，足部长度和宽度在 13-14 岁时显著增加，而跟宽、足弓高度和第五跖骨头高度则一直增加到 18 岁（P<0.05）。在青少年女孩中，大多数足部测量值在 15 岁后停止增加，除了足弓高度。与青少年女孩相比，青少年男孩的足部长度、宽度、高度和围度明显更大（P<0.05）（Cohen's d 效应量>0.8）。与青少年女孩相比，青少年男孩的球部宽度和围度以及内足长度和高度显著增加，而青少年女孩的内侧足长度和第五跖骨头高度比青少年男孩更高（P<0.05）（Cohen's d 效应量>0.5）。
在中国 13-18 岁青少年中，发现了足部测量值的年龄和性别相关差异。这些差异应在鞋类制造商和制定正常足部发育的临床决策时考虑。
