Development of the medial longitudinal arch of the foot in Czech pre- and primary school children – a cross-sectional and longitudinal approach

AbstractThis datasets comprise cross-sectional and longitudinal anthropometric measurements of healthy children, collected in Prague, Czech Republic, between 2017 and 2025. The cross-sectional component comprises data from 285 children (153 boys, 132 girls) aged 4.00–8.99 years, while the longitudinal subset contains annual measurements across three consecutive years (ages 4-6) for 50 children (27 boys, 23 girls). Participants were grouped according to World Health Organization age classifications, nd only records with complete data were retained to ensure integrity. Anthropometric parameters include body height, weight, BMI, BMI z-score, foot dimensions (length, width, relative foot length, foot index), and the Chippaux-Smirak index for arch assessment. Standardized measurement protocols (Martin & Saller, 1957) were applied by trained personnel using calibrated equipment, with BMI z-scores calculated using Czech national reference data. The dataset includes both raw and derived variables, allowing for analyses of growth patterns, body composition, and foot morphology. All participants rlived in comparable environmental conditions, and informed consent was obtained from legal guardians. Data collection adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague (approval no. 2017/23). The anonymized dataset supports studies in pediatric growth, public health, and biomechanics, and is available for both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.