Share this Article
Chua YP, Tan WJ, Ahmad TS, Saw A
Correspondence: Dr Chua Yeok Pin, yeokpin1@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Foot pain is a common problem, especially in women, and studies have shown that it is related to footwear. This study was conducted to establish the prevalence of nontraumatic foot pain and its contributing factors in young working Malaysian women in an urban setting.
METHODS The survey was conducted on a group of working women (age range 21–40 years) selected using convenience sampling. Data on foot problems was collected through an investigator-directed questionnaire and during clinical inspection of the foot.
RESULTS A total of 400 women, with a mean age of 29.4 years, were recruited. Half (n = 200) of the women had experienced recurrent nontraumatic foot pain in the past one year. Subjective assessments of foot pain using the Numeric Intensity Scale gave an average score of 4.89 ± 1.78 (range 2–10), with most episodes occurring at the heel. There was no statistically significant association between foot pain and age, ethnicity or body mass index. However, there was a higher incidence of foot pain in women wearing high-heeled footwear than those wearing non-high-heeled footwear (p = 0.027, odds ratio 1.591).
CONCLUSION Nontraumatic foot pain is common among young working women in our society. More than half (68.4%) of the women with foot pain in our study attributed the pain to footwear. Wearing high-heeled shoes to work was a significant contributing factor. Increased public awareness on the importance of proper footwear may help to reduce the prevalence of nontraumatic foot pain in working women.
Keywords: high heels, nontraumatic foot pain, young women
Singapore Med J 2013; 54(11): 630-633; http://dx.doi.org/10.11622/smedj.2013223
REFERENCES
| 1. Dunn JE, Link CL, Felson DT, et al. Prevalence of foot and ankle conditions in a multiethnic community sample of older adults. Am J Epidemiol 2004; 159:491- 8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwh071 | ||||
| 2. Black JR, Hale WE. Prevalence of foot complaints in the elderly. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 1987; 77:308-11. | ||||
| 3. Spahn G, Schiele R, Hell AK, et al. [The prevalence of pain and deformities in the feet of adolescents. Results of a cross-sectional study]. Z Orthop Ihre Grenzgeb 2004; 142:389-96. German http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-2004-822844 | ||||
| 4. American Podiatric Medical Association. High Heel Survey 2003 (online). Available at: www.apma.org/s_apma/doc.asp?CID=385&DID=17112. Accessed November 23, 2006. | ||||
| 5. World Health Organization. Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1997. | ||||
| 6. Department of Statistics Malaysia. Population and Housing Census of Malaysia 2010. National Population Demographics Census Year 2000 for female aged 21 to 40 in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Available at: www.statistics.gov.my/mycensus2010. Accessed July 23, 2011. | ||||
| 7. Frey C, Thompson F, Smith J, Sanders M, Horstman H. American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society women's shoe survey. Foot Ankle 1993; 14:78- 81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/107110079301400204 | ||||
| 8. Hill CL, Gill TK, Menz HB, Taylor AW. Prevalence and correlates of foot pain in a population-based study: the North West Adelaide health study. J Foot Ankle Res 2008; 1:2. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1757-1146-1-2 | ||||
| 9. Frey C, Zamora J. The effect of obesity on the orthopaedic foot and ankle pathlogy. Foot Ankle Int 2007; 28:996-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.3113/FAI.2007.0996 | ||||
| 10. Birtane M, Tuna H. The evaluation of plantar pressure distribution in obese and non-obese adults. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 2004; 19:1055-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2004.07.008 | ||||
| 11. Irving DB, Cook JL, Young MA, Menz HB. Obesity and pronated foot type may increase the risk of chronic plantar heel pain: a matched case-control study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2007; 8:41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-8-41 | ||||
| 12. Garrow AP, Silman AJ, Macfarlane GJ. The Cheshire Foot Pain and Disability Survey: a population survey assessing prevalence and associations. Pain 2004; 110:378-84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2004.04.019 | ||||
| 13. Riddle DL, Pulisic M, Pidcoe P, Johnson RE. Risk factors for Plantar fasciitis: a matched case-control study. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2003; 85-A:872-7. | ||||
| 14. Neufeld SK, Cerrato R. Plantar fasciitis: evaluation and treatment. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2008; 16:338-46. | ||||
| 15. Menz HB, Morris ME. Footwear characteristics and foot problems in older people. Gerontology 2005; 51:346-51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000086373 | ||||
| 16. Frey C, Thompson F, Smith J. Update on women's footwear. Foot Ankle Int 1995; 16:328-31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/107110079501600603 | ||||
| 17. Broch NL, Wyller T, Steen H. Effects of heel height and shoe shape on the compressive load between foot and base: a graphic analysis of principle. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 2004; 94:461-9. | ||||
| 18. Coughlin MJ, Thompson FM. The high price of high-fashion footwear. Instr Course Lect 1995; 44:371-7. | ||||
| 19. Sim-Fook L, Hodgson AR. A comparison of foot forms among non-shoe and shoe-wearing Chinese population. J Bone Joint Surg Am 1958; 40-A:1058-62. | ||||
| 20. Hoffman P. Conclusions drawn from a comparative study of the feet of barefooted and shoe-wearing peoples. Am J Orthop Surg 1905; s2-3:105-36. | ||||
| 21. Snow RE, Williams KR, Holmes GB Jr. The effects on wearing high heeled shoes on pedal pressure in women. Foot Ankle 1992; 13:85-92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/107110079201300206 | ||||
| 22. Frey C. Foot health and shoewear for women. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2000; 372: 32-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00003086-200003000-00005 | ||||