Resumen:
Inadequate footwear, painful and hyperkeratotic lesions (HL) are an extremely common problems amongst older people. Such
problems increase the risk of falls, hamper mobility, reduction of quality of life, dignity, and ability to remain independent. The etiology
of painful and feet conditions is poorly understood.
To discover footwear preferences of older people, paintolerancemay favor presence ofHL forthe use of inadequate footwear in old age.
A sample of 100 participants with a mean age of 74.90±7.01 years attended an outpatient clinic where self-reported demographic
data, frequency with which they checked their feet were recorded and measurements were taken of foot sensitivity. Additionally, all
participants’ shoes were allocated into optimal, adequate, and dangerous categories based on design, structural and safety features,
and materials.
Only 12% of the sample population checked their feet every day, 37% revealed symptoms of neuropathy, 14% used optimal
shoes, and 61% presented HL. In a bivariate analysis, no significant differences were observed.
HL are associated with inadequate footwear, loss of sensitivity, and low frequency of foot health checks.