Body weight and the medial longitudinal foot arch: high-arched foot, a hidden problem?

UNLABELLED: This study had two objectives. First, to determine the prevalence of hollow (high-arched) and flat foot among primary school children in Cracow (Poland). Second, to evaluate the relationship between the type of medial longitudinal arch (MLA; determined by the Clarke's angle) and degree of fatness. The prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity was determined by means of IOTF cut-offs with respect to age and gender. A sample of 1,115 children (564 boys and 551 girls) aged between 3 and 13 years was analyzed. In all age groups, regardless of gender, high-arched foot was diagnosed in the majority of children. A distinct increase in the number of children with high-arched foot was observed between 7- and 8-year olds. Regardless of the gender, high-arched foot was more common among underweight children. In the group of obese children, the biggest differences were attributed to gender. High-arched foot was the most frequently observed among boys. In all gender and obesity level groups, the flat foot was more common among boys than among girls. CONCLUSIONS: High-arched foot is the most common foot defect among children 3-13 years old regardless of gender. Flat foot is least frequently observed in children 3-13 years old. A statistic correlation between MLA and adiposity is observed. Stronger correlation is observed among girls.

Premedical program effective in increasing admissions to health professional schools.

The Special Premedical Studies Program (SPSP) has been successful in preparing Aboriginal students in Canada for admission to medicine, dentistry, medical rehabilitation, and pharmacy at the University of Manitoba. The success rate for admission to these faculties is 20%. There is a higher failure rate in the basic years of medical/dental education, but remediation has been 100% successful. Failure rates in the clinical years do not differ from those of the mainstream population. Grade point averages and MCAT scores are given less weight in the special consideration category of application at the University of Manitoba. SPSP students can and do apply to this category. The higher rate of first unsuccessful attempt in the basic years of medical education specifically can be attributed to a variety of factors, including reading skills. Although the numbers are small, we show that there is a correlation between the comprehension score of the Nelson-Denny test and the verbal score of MCAT. But there was no difference on the average between verbal score in MCAT and pass/fail in basic medical years. Students who scored above the 80th percentile on the comprehension portion of the Nelson-Denny test were successful in their first attempt at examinations in medical school.