Correlation between high heel vs flat footwear with balance and foot pain in physiotherapy students

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To find out the correlation of habitual footwear with balance and foot pain among Physiotherapy students. METHODOLOGY: This co-relational study was performed in Faculty of Physiotherapy from Jan 2017 to April 2017. It includes 100 students, both male & female from 130 volunteers using flat and heeled footwear Students having disability, obese with high BMI, Foot pain & balance problem were excluded. They were divided into two groups. Group A includes 50 males (A1-shoes with heels, A2 shoes without heels) and Group B includes 50 females (B1-flat slippers, B2-high heeled slippers). They were assessed using the Foot Function Index and star excursion balance test to analyse effects of footwear on balance and disability. The collected data was analysed and tabulated with both inferential and descriptive statistics using SPSS version 24. Paired t-test was used to find statistical difference within the groups & Independent t-test to find statistical difference between the groups. RESULTS: Data suggest that foot pain is more in the Group B2 and the balance is better in Group A2. Both groups consist of students using foot wears with the heels. The p value (p<0.05) shows that there is a difference between the groups A1, A2 & B1, B2. CONCLUSION: This study proves that there is a significant difference in SEBT [star excursion balance test] FFI [foot function index] Score among the group A and group B. It shows that the group A2 and B2 have significantly more balance and foot pain than the group A1 and B2.