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Predictors of podiatry utilisation in Australia: the North West Adelaide Health Study

Hylton B Menz , Tiffany K Gill , Anne W Taylor and Catherine L Hill

Journal of Foot and Ankle Research 2008, 1:8doi:10.1186/1757-1146-1-8


Published: 19 August 2008

Abstract (provisional)

Background
Foot problems are highly prevalent in the community; however no large population-based studies have examined the characteristics of those who do and do not access podiatry services in Australia. The aim of this study was to explore patterns of podiatry utilisation in a population-based sample of people aged 18 years and over living in the northwest region of Adelaide, South Australia.

Methods
The North West Adelaide Health Study is a representative longitudinal cohort study of 4,060 people randomly selected and recruited by telephone interview. The interview included questions regarding healthcare service utilisation in the past year. Data were also collected on education, income and major medical conditions.

Results
Overall, 9.5% of the total sample and 17.7% of those who reported foot pain had attended a podiatrist in the past year. Participants who had accessed podiatry treatment were more likely to be female, be aged over 45 years, be obese, and have major chronic medical conditions (osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure). Those who reported foot pain but had not accessed a podiatrist were more likely to be male and be aged 20 to 34 years.

Conclusions
Only a small proportion of people who report foot pain have accessed podiatry services in the past year. There is a need to further promote podiatry services to the general community, particularly to men and younger people.

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Those figures are astounding! We have a lot of work to do.

~15 or so years ago I published a demographic analysis of a couple of different scenarios of how the ageing population would impact on the future demand for podiatry (would be interesting to revisit to see how accurate I was). The data suggested that while the population was ageing, it would only increase the demand for podiatry by around 1-1.5% per year. This assumed that all other things remained equal (which of course is a huge assumption).

As part of the conclusion I suggested that the ageing population could be an insignificant factor in the future demand for podiatry as good marketing of our services should be able to increase demand by way more than 1-1.5% per year. The above data presented in the study by Hylton would support that as there are so many in the younger age groups to market to with foot problems!

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Craig Payne
Department of Podiatry
La Trobe University
Melbourne, Australia
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/podiatry
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God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things - right now I am so far behind, I will never die.
The views expressed above are those of the author and not that of La Trobe University
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