Prevalence of Flatfoot in Iranian Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Flatfoot (FF) is one of the most common deformities in children, which is divided into two flexible or rigid types. Given the prevalence of FF and the importance of orthopedic diseases, this meta-analysis was conducted to determine the prevalence of FF in children and adolescents in Iran. Methods:  This study has extracted data related to the prevalence of FF in people under 18 years of age by a meta-analysis of articles published in ISI-PUBMED-SCOPUS-EMBASE-SID-MAGIRA-GOOGLE SCHOOL databases. Original studies published in Persian or English reporting the prevalence of FF in the Iranian population were included in the study. If there was no access to the full file of the article for any reason, it was excluded from the study. Data was analyzed by CMA 3. Results: It was revealed that the prevalence of FF in girls was equal to 20.8%, and 20.3% in boys. The total prevalence of FF was equal to 20.1%. The prevalence of unilateral FF was equal to 3.9%. The prevalence of bilateral FF was 6.1%. The prevalence of FF was 17.7% for mild FF, 14.2% for moderate FF and 2.8% for severe FF. Conclusion: Given the high prevalence of FF in Iran, it is suggested that necessary measures be taken to prevent FF while training parents about different effective and risk factors