Understanding the role of ethnicity, age, sex and obesity on foot morphology: a systematic review

Abstract

The morphology of the human foot varies considerably due to the combined effects of heredity, culture, lifestyle, nutrition and climatic factors, and these have anthropological, clinical and forensic importance. The shape of the foot has been of great interest to numerous authors because of its variability and its importance from both the morphological and functional points of view. Foot morphology determines the size and shape of feet or footprints and thereby makes them unique data to establish human identity. This review study is an attempt to explore the variation in human foot morphology in different ethnic populations as well as the effect of age, sex and obesity on the morphology of the human foot. The database was searched from June 2021 to December 2021 using Google Scholar, ResearchGate and PubMed employing unique and specific combinations of keywords, such as ethnic differences, foot anthropometry, foot dimensions, foot morphology, footprints, gender differences in foot dimension, sexual dimorphism in foot anthropometry, foot shape, obesity and foot morphology, and the effect of age on foot morphology. A total of 55 studies were retrieved covering the years from 1975 to 2020. Literature revealed that foot morphological characteristics vary among different ethnic groups and also exhibit sexual dimorphism and reflect specific characteristics at different ages of life. Obesity was found to have a significant impact on selected foot morphological parameters. Studies on quantitative variations in foot morphology from the anthropological point of view in the Indian context are limited, and, therefore, similar studies should be instigated among different ethnic groups living in different parts of India.