Effect Of Body Mass Index On Arches Of Foot

Background: The human foot possesses a special intricate mechanism responsible for bipedal gait. The plantar arches of the foot are the most distinctive feature of a human being which can be normal, high arch or low arch. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 398 subjects (164 males and 234 females) in the Department of Anatomy, RIMS, Imphal from May 2023 to November 2023.Staheli’s Index was used for classification of foot arches. Results: The mean value of body mass index (BMI) was 24.31±3.84 and mean value of Staheli arch index on left and right foot was 0.68±0.22 and 0.67±0.19. One way ANOVA analysis of bilateral Staheli arch index in five groups of underweight, normal, overweight, obese I and obese II showed a statistically significant difference with a progressive increase in values from underweight to obese II. Gender wise comparison of Staheli Index of the five groups was not found to be statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: The present study showed a positive correlation between BMI and foot arches. The result of this study suggests a preventive intervention to improve the quality of life for overweight and obese persons