Footwear characteristics and foot problems in community dwelling people with stroke: a cross-sectional observational study.
Dorit Kunkel, Louis Mamode, Malcolm Burnett and 6 others
PMID 35968548WHAT IT FOUND
Every one of the thirty people with chronic stroke in this study had at least one foot problem, yet most wore slippers indoors.
Half of those indoor shoes were ill-fitting. Clinicians should check footwear and foot health directly, as patients often miss these issues.
Key findings
01All 30 participants had at least one foot problem identified by a podiatrist, with a mean of 6.5 problems per person.
02Indoors, 57% of participants wore slippers, and 50% of the shoes worn indoors fitted poorly.
03Only 33% of participants wore well-fitting shoes both indoors and outdoors.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample was small (n=30) and drawn from survey respondents who agreed to further contact, introducing selection bias. Participants needed to be able to attend a hospital appointment, so the sample likely excludes those with more severe impairments. The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine if foot problems cause disability or vice versa. The tools used for assessing footwear adequacy are based on expert opinion rather than high-level evidence.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and sponsored by University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume patients know their footwear is inadequate. In this study, 70% of respondents in a related survey felt their indoor shoes were right for them, yet podiatrists found only 50% fitted well. Clinical assessment is required.