Correlation between body composition variables, plantar pressure and pain level

From a current perspective, it is understood that body posture is influenced by individual asymmetries, cultural context, habitual body patterns, etiological factors and psychosocial factors allocated to the individual. Clarifying the musculoskeletal cause that originated the postural alteration is considered the clinical challenge in the treatment of pain or discomfort. Recent studies have shown the influence of changes in body weight on the distribution of plantar pressure and foot pain, emphasizing the importance of understanding these relationships. Integrating body composition with plantar pressure analysis presents an opportunity to explore gender differences and their associations with plantar pressure distribution. There is currently a lack of research integrating body composition, plantar pressure distribution and gender comparison to elucidate the complex interaction between these variables. Therefore, the main objective of this investigation is to evaluate body composition through BIA (bioimpedance) and the distribution of plantar pressure in the subjects’ feet through pressure platform analysis with a specific focus on comparisons between the genders and the associations between these variables. The study employed an observational cross-sectional design. A total of 77 participants (n = 77) aged between 18 and 91 years were assessed, the majority of whom were female (n = 53, 68.83%), while 24 participants (n = 24, 31.17%) were male. The average age of the participants was 60.717 years for males and 54.33 years for females. Baropodometry and bioimpedance tests were carried out. Significant differences with a medium effect were recorded only for the three indicators, while the rest of the values showed a large effect. Significant negative correlations were found between age and height ( p < 0.05) and positive correlations between age and other factors such as BMI, fat mass, lean mass and various foot-related metrics. The results of this study showed that plantar pressure characteristics differ according to gender and are related to body composition and pain level.