TY - JOUR
T1 - Foot pain and foot health in an educated population of adults: results from the Glasgow Caledonian University Alumni Foot Health Survey
AU - Hendry, Gordon J.
AU - Fenocchi, Linda
AU - Woodburn, James
AU - Steultjens, Martijn
N1 - Acceptance from webpage
OA article; no funding from grant.
PY - 2018/8/17
Y1 - 2018/8/17
N2 - Background: Foot pain is common amongst the general population and impacts
negatively on physical function and quality of life. Associations between
personal health characteristics, lifestyle/behaviour factors and foot pain have
been studied; however, the role of wider determinants of health on foot pain
have received relatively little attention. Objectives of this study are i) to
describe foot pain and foot health characteristics in an educated population of
adults; ii) to explore associations between moderate-to-severe foot pain and a
variety of factors including gender, age, medical
conditions/co-morbidity/multi-morbidity, key indicators of general health, foot
pathologies, and social determinants of health; and iii) to evaluate
associations between moderate-to-severe foot pain and foot function, foot
health and health-related quality-of-life.
Methods: Between February and March 2018, Glasgow Caledonian University Alumni
with a working email address were invited to participate in the cross-sectional
electronic survey (anonymously) by email via the Glasgow Caledonian University
Alumni Office. The survey was constructed using the REDCap secure web online
survey application and sought information on presence/absence of
moderate-to-severe foot pain, patient characteristics (age, body mass index,
socioeconomic status, occupation class, comorbidities, and foot pathologies).
Prevalence data were expressed as absolute frequencies and percentages.
Multivariate logistic and linear regressions were undertaken to identify
associations 1) between independent variables and moderate-to-severe foot pain,
and 2) between moderate-to-severe foot pain and foot function, foot health and
health-related quality of life.
Results: Of 50,228 invitations distributed, there were 7707 unique views and 593
valid completions (median age [inter-quartile range] 42 [31–52], 67.3% female)
of the survey (7.7% response rate). The sample was comprised predominantly of
white Scottish/British (89.4%) working age adults (95%), the majority of whom
were overweight or obese (57.9%), and in either full-time or part-time
employment (82.5%) as professionals (72.5%). Over two-thirds (68.5%) of the
sample were classified in the highest 6 deciles (most affluent) of social
deprivation. Moderate-to-severe foot pain affected 236/593 respondents (39.8%).
High body mass index, presence of bunions, back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, hip
pain and lower occupation class were included in the final multivariate model
and all were significantly and independently associated with moderate-to-severe
foot pain (p < 0.05), except for rheumatoid arthritis (p = 0.057).
Moderate-to-severe foot pain was significantly and independently associated
lower foot function, foot health and health-related quality of life scores
following adjustment for age, gender and body mass index (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: Moderate-to-severe foot pain was highly prevalent in a
university-educated population and was independently associated with female
gender, high body mass index, bunions, back pain, hip pain and lower occupational
class. Presence of moderate-to-severe foot pain was associated with worse
scores for foot function, foot health and health-related quality-of-life.
Education attainment does not appear to be protective against
moderate-to-severe foot pain.
AB - Background: Foot pain is common amongst the general population and impacts
negatively on physical function and quality of life. Associations between
personal health characteristics, lifestyle/behaviour factors and foot pain have
been studied; however, the role of wider determinants of health on foot pain
have received relatively little attention. Objectives of this study are i) to
describe foot pain and foot health characteristics in an educated population of
adults; ii) to explore associations between moderate-to-severe foot pain and a
variety of factors including gender, age, medical
conditions/co-morbidity/multi-morbidity, key indicators of general health, foot
pathologies, and social determinants of health; and iii) to evaluate
associations between moderate-to-severe foot pain and foot function, foot
health and health-related quality-of-life.
Methods: Between February and March 2018, Glasgow Caledonian University Alumni
with a working email address were invited to participate in the cross-sectional
electronic survey (anonymously) by email via the Glasgow Caledonian University
Alumni Office. The survey was constructed using the REDCap secure web online
survey application and sought information on presence/absence of
moderate-to-severe foot pain, patient characteristics (age, body mass index,
socioeconomic status, occupation class, comorbidities, and foot pathologies).
Prevalence data were expressed as absolute frequencies and percentages.
Multivariate logistic and linear regressions were undertaken to identify
associations 1) between independent variables and moderate-to-severe foot pain,
and 2) between moderate-to-severe foot pain and foot function, foot health and
health-related quality of life.
Results: Of 50,228 invitations distributed, there were 7707 unique views and 593
valid completions (median age [inter-quartile range] 42 [31–52], 67.3% female)
of the survey (7.7% response rate). The sample was comprised predominantly of
white Scottish/British (89.4%) working age adults (95%), the majority of whom
were overweight or obese (57.9%), and in either full-time or part-time
employment (82.5%) as professionals (72.5%). Over two-thirds (68.5%) of the
sample were classified in the highest 6 deciles (most affluent) of social
deprivation. Moderate-to-severe foot pain affected 236/593 respondents (39.8%).
High body mass index, presence of bunions, back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, hip
pain and lower occupation class were included in the final multivariate model
and all were significantly and independently associated with moderate-to-severe
foot pain (p < 0.05), except for rheumatoid arthritis (p = 0.057).
Moderate-to-severe foot pain was significantly and independently associated
lower foot function, foot health and health-related quality of life scores
following adjustment for age, gender and body mass index (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: Moderate-to-severe foot pain was highly prevalent in a
university-educated population and was independently associated with female
gender, high body mass index, bunions, back pain, hip pain and lower occupational
class. Presence of moderate-to-severe foot pain was associated with worse
scores for foot function, foot health and health-related quality-of-life.
Education attainment does not appear to be protective against
moderate-to-severe foot pain.
KW - foot pain
KW - survey
KW - foot health
KW - epidemiology
U2 - 10.1186/s13047-018-0290-1
DO - 10.1186/s13047-018-0290-1
M3 - Article
SN - 1757-1146
VL - 11
JO - Journal of Foot and Ankle Research
JF - Journal of Foot and Ankle Research
M1 - 48
ER -