Association of Body Mass Index with Foot Posture Types and Core Muscle Endurance Among Young Adults: An Observational Study

Background: Body Mass Index (BMI), foot posture, and core muscles endurance are critical factors in the assessment of functional capacity and prevention of musculoskeletal dysfunction. Objective: To evaluate an association between BMI and foot posture and core muscle endurance among young adults. Methods: Through convenient sampling, data was obtained for an observational cross-sectional study of 212 young adults (106 males,106 female) aged 18-25. BMI was calculated using WHO (World Health Organization) protocols. Foot posture was measured using Foot Posture Index (FPI-6), which categorized the feet as being pronated, normal, or supinated. Core muscle endurance was administered by prone plank test. All data were analyzed using SPSS v20, using Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: For females, the BMI values had a significant moderate positive correlation with left foot posture (r =0.576, p = <0.001) and right foot posture (r =0.585, p = <0.001). For males, there was also significant relationships between BMI and their left foot posture (r = 0.650, p = <0.001) and right foot posture (r =0.666, p = <0.001). The study found a significant negative correlation between BMI and core muscle endurance in males (r = -0.264, p = 0.006), and a non-significant value in females (r = -0.126, p = 0.197). Conclusion: Increased BMI is correlated with pronated foot posture in both groups of young adults studied. In fact, females were found to be at a greater risk of flat feet with an increased BMI. Furthermore, increased BMI was adversely associated with core muscle endurance especially in males. Key words: Body Mass Index, Foot Posture Index, Prone Plank Test, Core Muscle Endurance, Young Adults.