Moscow University
Anthropology
Bulletin
Anthropology
Bulletin
Ankara University, Faculty of Languages, History and Geography, Department of Anthropology, Ankara, Turkey
Akca Duygu Hilal, e-mail: dhakca@gmail.com; Özer Başak Koca, e-mail: bkozer@ankara.edu.tr.
Evaluation of foot development is important for growth and development as well ergonomics studies. The purpose of the present paper is to investigate age and sex dependent foot anthropometry and secular changes in Turkish children and adolescents. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1427 (709 boys and 718 girls) healthy school children aged between 6–17 years from Ankara. Height, foot length and foot breadth were measured according to the standard anthropometric protocols and foot index was calculated. To reveal secular changes on foot growth, the data were compared with Bostancı’s study of 1950, which included 1679 healthy school children from Ankara. The results show rapid increment in foot length at 11-13-year-olds for the boys and 9-10-year-olds for the girls. Similar growth pattern in foot breadth was also recorded which followed by a steady increase. Although during early childhood the boys have larger foot dimensions, just before the puberty girls catch up and sexual dimorphism disappear. After the age of 13 years significant difference between the two sexes have been recorded (p<0.01). Positive secular increase was prominent for the foot length and breadth measurements for both sexes but this increment was greater for boys, which can be linked with the different degree of response to the improved environmental conditions. Positive secular changes documented in the present study appear to be a logical outcome of gradual social changes. As a developing country, Turkish population still tends to be diverse, and by taking into account potential social improvement, we might predict a further positive secular trend in growth.
Foot anthropometry, secular changes, children and adolescents, Turkey
Цит.: Akca Duygu Hilal, Özer Başak Koca EVALUATION OF FOOT ANTHROPOMETRY AND SECULAR CHANGES IN TURKISH CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2014; 3/2014; с. 49-49
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