An assessment of the prevalence of pes planus among Turkish and immigrant children of elementary school age

Zümrüt Doğan; Ramazan Karakaya; İlknur Sarı; Muhammed Emre Yüzer; Fatih Üçkardeş; Ali Aydın

doi:10.66235/kumj.1919132

An assessment of the prevalence of pes planus among Turkish and immigrant children of elementary school age

Abstract

Background: The foot is a complex structure composed of bones, joints, muscles, and ligaments that bears body weight and enables movement while being continuously exposed to mechanical stress. Foot arches develop to reduce this stress; however, a decrease or loss of the medial longitudinal arch results in pes planus. Although its natural course is not fully understood, pes planus may arise from structural and environmental factors. While it is typically physiological in childhood, pathological cases may occur due to factors such as prolonged standing, inappropriate footwear habits, abnormal body weight, muscle weakness, or calcaneal damage.

Aim: Previous studies suggest that pes planus may be influenced by environmental factors and nationality; however, its relationship with socio-economic characteristics remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of nationality and socio-economic factors on the prevalence of pes planus in children.

Methods: The study included primary school students (grades 1–4, aged 6–9 years) comprising Turkish students attending private and public schools and Syrian students. Footprints were obtained using a wet footprint method and evaluated with the Staheli index. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 25.0, with normality assessed by the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and comparisons made using the independent samples t-test (p<0.05).

Results: Significant differences were found between Turkish and Syrian participants, whereas no significant differences were observed based on gender or socio-economic variables.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that nationality-related factors may play a role in pes planus prevalence. Further research is needed to clarify contributing factors and to support preventive strategies aimed at reducing its long-term effects.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

During this study, no financial support was received from any company.

Project Number

2019/6-7

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval for the study was granted by the Adıyaman University Medical Faculty Ethics Commitee for Non-ınterventional Procedures (Ethics Number is 2019/6-7)

Thanks

Contributors to this study meet the criteria for authorship and are listed as authors in the indicated field. This study was presented as a poster presentation at the “12th Anatomy Winter Days Congress.”

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Orthopaedics, Anatomy

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Zümrüt Doğan
0000-0001-7131-2317
Türkiye

Ramazan Karakaya
0009-0002-3215-5552
Türkiye

İlknur Sarı
0000-0003-0109-2245
Türkiye

Muhammed Emre Yüzer ^*
0000-0002-0115-9473
Türkiye

Fatih Üçkardeş
0000-0003-0677-7606
Türkiye

Ali Aydın
0000-0003-2464-4743
Türkiye

Publication Date

September 27, 2026

Submission Date

March 31, 2026

Acceptance Date

July 17, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 6 Number: 3

DOI

https://doi.org/10.66235/kumj.1919132

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA62KK27KT

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Doğan, Z., Karakaya, R., Sarı, İ., Yüzer, M. E., Üçkardeş, F., & Aydın, A. (2026). An assessment of the prevalence of pes planus among Turkish and immigrant children of elementary school age. Kastamonu Medical Journal, 6(3), 269-277. https://doi.org/10.66235/kumj.1919132

AMA

1.Doğan Z, Karakaya R, Sarı İ, Yüzer ME, Üçkardeş F, Aydın A. An assessment of the prevalence of pes planus among Turkish and immigrant children of elementary school age. Kastamonu Medical Journal. 2026;6(3):269-277. doi:10.66235/kumj.1919132

Chicago

Doğan, Zümrüt, Ramazan Karakaya, İlknur Sarı, Muhammed Emre Yüzer, Fatih Üçkardeş, and Ali Aydın. 2026. “An Assessment of the Prevalence of Pes Planus Among Turkish and Immigrant Children of Elementary School Age”. Kastamonu Medical Journal 6 (3): 269-77. https://doi.org/10.66235/kumj.1919132.

EndNote

Doğan Z, Karakaya R, Sarı İ, Yüzer ME, Üçkardeş F, Aydın A (September 1, 2026) An assessment of the prevalence of pes planus among Turkish and immigrant children of elementary school age. Kastamonu Medical Journal 6 3 269–277.

IEEE

[1]Z. Doğan, R. Karakaya, İ. Sarı, M. E. Yüzer, F. Üçkardeş, and A. Aydın, “An assessment of the prevalence of pes planus among Turkish and immigrant children of elementary school age”, Kastamonu Medical Journal, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 269–277, Sept. 2026, doi: 10.66235/kumj.1919132.

ISNAD

Doğan, Zümrüt - Karakaya, Ramazan - Sarı, İlknur - Yüzer, Muhammed Emre - Üçkardeş, Fatih - Aydın, Ali. “An Assessment of the Prevalence of Pes Planus Among Turkish and Immigrant Children of Elementary School Age”. Kastamonu Medical Journal 6/3 (September 1, 2026): 269-277. https://doi.org/10.66235/kumj.1919132.

JAMA

1.Doğan Z, Karakaya R, Sarı İ, Yüzer ME, Üçkardeş F, Aydın A. An assessment of the prevalence of pes planus among Turkish and immigrant children of elementary school age. Kastamonu Medical Journal. 2026;6:269–277.

MLA

Doğan, Zümrüt, et al. “An Assessment of the Prevalence of Pes Planus Among Turkish and Immigrant Children of Elementary School Age”. Kastamonu Medical Journal, vol. 6, no. 3, Sept. 2026, pp. 269-77, doi:10.66235/kumj.1919132.

Vancouver

1.Zümrüt Doğan, Ramazan Karakaya, İlknur Sarı, Muhammed Emre Yüzer, Fatih Üçkardeş, Ali Aydın. An assessment of the prevalence of pes planus among Turkish and immigrant children of elementary school age. Kastamonu Medical Journal. 2026 Sep. 1;6(3):269-77. doi:10.66235/kumj.1919132