Foot Health and Elevated Body Mass Index

Abstract

Objective: Investigate the relationship between the subcategories included in the Foot Health Status Questionnaire (FHSQ) and body mass index (BMI). Design: Cross-sectional study of people attending a general health screening clinic. Subjects: Fifty participants aged between 40 and 60 years filled out the FHSQ and were included in this study. These were divided into the three groups according to the BMI classification of underweight to Class 3 obesity. Measurements: Demographic variables, blood pressure, BMI as well as medical history were recorded. Relationships between the subcategories of the FHSQ and BMI were investigated. All statistics were deemed significant if p<0.05. Results: We found that there is a significant correlation between BMI and foot pain (p = 0.047), foot function (p = 0.004), footwear (p = 0.007) and general foot health (p = 0.013). Conclusion: The FHSQ is an internally consistent, all in one foot health and function assessment tool, which indicated significant impact of BMI on pain, foot function and foot health, as well as choice of foot wear. These issues can ideally be addressed by primary care physicians to improve health and quality of life for people that are overweight through effective weight loss programs.