Dušan Nikolić1, Kristina Stevanović2, Tijana Stojanović3, Neda Mihajlović3, Slađana S. Đokić3, Jolanda Ilić3, Stefan Đorđević4, Borko Katanić5
1Academy of Vocational Studies Southern Serbia, Department of the College of Teachers, Bujanovac, Serbia
2Academy of Applied Studies Belgrade, College of Health Studies, Belgrade, Serbia
3Preschool Institution “Vukica Mitrović”, Leskovac, Serbia
4University of Niš, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, Niš, Serbia
5Montenegrin Sports Academy, Podgorica, Montenegro
Prevalence of Flat Feet among Preschool Children in Leskovac, Serbia
Sport Mont 2026, 24(2), Ahead of Print | DOI: 10.26773/smj.260612
Abstract
to determine, using a podoscope, the prevalence of flat feet (pes planus) among preschool-aged children in Leskovac. The sample of respondents consisted of 100 children from the preschool institution "Vukica Mitrović" from Leskovac, aged 4 to 6 years. Of all children, 46% were boys and 54% were girls. The results showed that 72% of children have flat feet and only 28% of children have normal feet. Of the total number of children, 30% had pes planus first degree (PP1), 23% had pes planus second degree (PP2), 14% had pes planus third degree (PP3), and 5% had pes planus fourth degree (PP4). The chi-square (χ²) test of independence did not show a significant relationship between gender and foot status in children. This means that flat feet are equally represented in boys and girls without a significant difference. Research has shown that the prevalence of flat feet in preschool children decreases over time. Namely, the prevalence of flat feet in 4-year-old children is 90.9%, in 5-year-old children 74.4%, and in 6-year-old children 57.1%. The obtained data show that children from Leskovac do not lag behind children from other cities of Serbia, Europe, and the world in the prevalence of flat feet. The obtained results are an alarm for educators to devote more time to organizing physical education games that will encourage the development of the foot muscles and enable the natural development of the longitudinal arch of the foot, which would reduce the percentage of children with flat feet, and thus the eventual consequences of that condition.
Keywords
flat foot, preschoolers, foot deformities, postural disorders
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