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For people with gout, the pliable materials, foot shape, adjustable straps and wide opening are the major criteria while choosing suitable footwear.
On the basis of the report of a recently conducted web-based survey, it is advised that people with gout should go for comfortable shoes which fits the foot well, with a wide opening and a wide, deep toe box so that no burden exerts on the distressed joint(s), and should be made of flexible materials with adaptable straps. The foot, especially the first metatarsophalangeal joint is counted in the most affected body parts due to gout but the people suffering from gout don't concentrate on this fact and generally wear ill-fitting footwear with no cushioning and support. Footwear acts as an essential non-pharmacological intervention to alleviate pain and enhance functional ability.
This analysis aimed to understand
the experience of finding footwear, footwear features, and factors
associated with footwear choice within people with gout by conducting
a web-based survey of patients visiting a gout education website.
These patients self-diagnosed gout with the help of online portal. The
investigation involved questions regarding the type of footwear worn,
factors affecting choices of footwear, level of difficulty to find
suitable footwear, demographic and clinical features. Findings were
reported using a mixed quantitative and qualitative methodology.
Thirty-nine percent of participants were recently diagnosed, 43% suffered from gout for 1–10 years, and 19% had gout beyond ten years. Ninety-three percent showed gout flares in the feet, generally in the big toe joint. The questionnaire was accomplished by 92% of the participants. Casual closed-in slip-on shoes, sturdy walking shoes, and closed-in athletic shoes were worn most often, whereas, orthopaedic shoes were worn least often. In gout, ease to put on/take off, fit, comfort, and support were the primary characteristics while choosing the footwear. Above half of the participants described the problem in finding footwear. Three outcomes were reported to evaluate the experiences associated with footwear which were impact of shoes on activity, preferred footwear, and difficulty finding suitable shoes. These outcomes provide relevant information regarding priorities and needs of people with gout which could be employed while developing footwear interventions.
Journal of Foot and Ankle Research
Experience of finding footwear and factors contributing to footwear choice in people with gout: a mixed-methods study using a web-based survey.
Angela Brenton-Rule et al.
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