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The effects of foot disease on quality of life: results of the Achilles Project.
J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2005 Mar;19(2):191-5.
Katsambas A, Abeck D, Haneke E, van de Kerkhof P, Burzykowski T, Molenberghs G, Marynissen G.
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ABSTRACT Background Foot diseases have a high prevalence in the general population, but their impact on quality of life has not been assessed in large-scale studies. The Achilles Project surveyed foot disease in patients visiting their primary care physician or dermatologist. Methods A total of 43 593 patients were asked about the impact of their condition on their quality of life: pain, discomfort in walking, limitations in daily activities, and embarrassment. Results Overall, 52.5% of patients had some aspect of their quality of life affected by their foot disease. More specifically, 30.7% of patients experienced pain, 40.3% had discomfort in walking, 19.6% had their daily activities limited, and 27.3% were embarrassed. The survey indicated a larger impact of foot disease on the quality of life of women vs. men in all categories, except for daily activities. Similarly, the elderly (>/= 65 years) were more affected by their foot disease, although they suffered no more embarrassment than other age groups. Participation in sports seemed to lower the proportion of patients who had their quality of life adversely affected. Non-fungal foot diseases, particularly ulcer and gangrene, are more likely to cause pain, discomfort in walking and limit daily activities, than fungal diseases. Conclusions In general, non-fungal foot diseases caused pain, discomfort in walking and limitations in daily activities in more patients than fungal foot diseases, but a higher proportion of patients with fungal foot diseases were embarrassed by their condition than patients with non-fungal foot diseases. The study found that the impact of foot disease on quality of life may be greater than previously suggested. Given that effective treatments are available, routine examination of patients' feet by dermatologists and primary care physicians may help to reduce the burden of these foot conditions.
Re: The effects of foot disease on quality of life
Quality of life in individuals with chronic foot conditions: A cross sectional observational study.
Groarke P, Galvin R, Kelly J, Stephens MM. Foot (Edinb). 2012 Jan 18
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BACKGROUND:
Chronic foot conditions have been reported to be a significant cause of impairment and disability to individuals affected. However, studies to date have particularly focussed on patient satisfaction with outcomes following surgery.
OBJECTIVES:
The aim of this study is to examine the impact of three common foot conditions on the levels of impairment and quality of life prior to surgery. Three conditions include Hallux Valgus (HV), Hallux Rigidus (HR) and Hammer Toe (HT).
METHODS:
This was a pilot cross-sectional observational study of people who were radiologically and clinically diagnosed with one of the three common foot pathologies: HV, HR and HT. Age and gender matched controls were also recruited. Self-reported quality of life was measured.
RESULTS:
The SF-36 scores did not differ significantly between the groups. There was a significant difference in self reported impairment between the groups on the Global Foot and Ankle Scale indicating that the 'bilateral foot group' perceived themselves to be significantly more impaired than their counterparts in the control group.
CONCLUSION:
Patient quality of life is now recognised as one of the most important outcomes of surgery. These findings serve to highlight the level of impairment and quality of life of individuals prior to surgery.
The effects of foot disease on quality of life
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