Abstract

Background:: The sole is the foundation not only for body support and the center of gravity transfer but also for sensing stimuli from the floor surface and controlling posture.
Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a posture control system using items to be carried in order to investigate the effects of items to be carried on the standing balance and the condition of the plantar surface of college students.
Methods: The methodology was as follows: undergraduate medical students from University A were included in the study. The survey was administered as a self-administered questionnaire using Google Forms, and foot measurements were taken by FootLook, Inc. The survey items included age, BMI, nail and foot symptoms, type of personal effects, weight of personal effects, shoes usually worn. The angles of the big and small toes were measured from the sole of the foot, the hallux valgus, bunionette and ground contact area was evaluated. The condition of the sole with and without carrying objects were compared.
Results: There were a total of 123 participants. The average weight of their personal belongings was 5 kg, and 60% of them carried a backpack. Sneakers were the most common footwear (80%). The incidence of floating toes and hallux valgus decreased when the participants stopped carrying luggage, and there was no change in the incidence of bunionette in 70% of the participants.
Conclusion: There were changes in the number of floating toes and the incidence of hallux valgus among college students due to their belongings.