The immediate effect of custom-made insole on myoelectrical activity of selected leg muscles in obese children during walking

Today, childhood obesity is one of major public health crisis nationally and internationally. Locomotor characteristics related to obesity have yet to be clearly identified for children and adolescents. The aim of present study was to examine the immediate effect of custom-made insole on myoelectrical activity of selected leg muscles of obese children during walking.

Fourteen able-bodied male students aged 7-12 years in the Hamadan city participated in this study. Electromyography activity of Tibialis anterior, Proneus longus and Medialis gastrocnemius muscles were recorded during three walking conditions namely wearing only shoes, shoe with regular insole and shoe with custom-made insole. Analysis of variance with repeated measures followed by a Bonferroni correction was used for statistics analyses.

Results showed that the normalized peak activity of the peroneus longus muscle in the midstance/ progression phase of walking decreased in the shoe with custom-made insole condition compared to the wearing only shoes condition (P=0.005). Also, the normalized peak activity of the tibialis anterior muscle in the sway phase of walking was decreased in the shoe with custom-made insole condition compared to the shoe with normal insole condition (P=0.014).

Due to the decrease in the activity level of the selected leg muscles while using custom-made insole in obese children, costume-made insoles have positive impact on obese children's during daily and Transitional activities.