Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login
  • Admin

Self-reported adult footwear and the risks of lower limb osteoarthritis : the GOAL case control study

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

McWilliams, Daniel F., Muthuri, Stella, Muir, Kenneth, Maciewicz, Rose A., Zhang, Weiya and Doherty, Michael (2014) Self-reported adult footwear and the risks of lower limb osteoarthritis : the GOAL case control study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, Volume 15 (Number 1). pp. 1-7. doi:10.1186/1471-2474-15-308

[img]
Preview
PDF (Creative Commons : Attribution 4.0)
WRAP_Muir_12891_2014_Article_2254.pdf - Published Version - Requires a PDF viewer.

Download (358Kb) | Preview
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-15-308

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

Background: Biomechanical factors may play a role in osteoarthritis (OA) development and progression. Previous biomechanical studies have indicated that types of footwear may modulate forces across the knee joint, and high heeled womens’ shoes in particular are hypothesised to be detrimental to lower limb joint health. This analysis of data from a case control study investigated persistent users of different adult footwear for risks of knee and hip OA. Our underlying hypotheses were that high heeled, narrow heeled, and hard soled shoe types were putative risk factors for lower limb OA.

Methods: Data on footwear were initially obtained from participants during the Genetics of Osteoarthritis and Lifestyle (GOAL) hospital-based, case control study using standardised interview-delivered questionnaires. An additional questionnaire was later sent to GOAL study participants to verify findings and to further investigate specific shoe use per decade of life. Persistent users of footwear types (high or narrow heel; sole thickness or hardness) were identified from early adulthood. Participants were grouped into single sex knee OA, hip OA or control groups. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated.

Results: Univariate analysis of persistent users of women’s high heeled and narrow heeled shoes during early adulthood showed negative associations with knee OA and hip OA. After logistic regression, persistent narrow heel users were associated with less risk of OA (knee OA aOR 0.59, 95% CI 0.35 – 1.00 and hip aOR: 0.50, 95% CI 0.30 – 0.85), and other analyses were not statistically significant. Further analysis suggested that women with hip OA may have stopped wearing high and narrow heeled footwear to attenuate hip pain in early adulthood. Consistent associations between shoe soles and OA were not found.

Conclusions: In general, persistent users of high and narrow heeled shoes during early adulthood had a negative association with knee or hip OA. This does not necessarily imply a causal relationship, as changing footwear during early adulthood to modulate index joint pain may provide a possible explanation. Despite the findings of previous biomechanical studies of high heels, we did not find a positive association between women’s shoes and lower limb osteoarthritis.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine
Divisions: Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences
Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Osteoarthritis, Footwear -- Health aspects
Journal or Publication Title: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Publisher: Biomed central
ISSN: 1471-2474
Official Date: 20 September 2014
Dates:
DateEvent
20 September 2014Published
Volume: Volume 15
Number: Number 1
Number of Pages: 7
Page Range: pp. 1-7
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2474-15-308
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Funder: AstraZeneca (Firm)

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics

twitter

Email us: wrap@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us