Are foot disorders associated with functional limitation and disability among community-dwelling older adults?

The objectives of this study are to examine whether specific foot disorders and ankle weakness and foot pain are related to functional limitations or disabilities in elders. Community-dwelling adults 65 and older were enrolled in a population-based, cross-sectional study of foot disorders and health outcomes. Demographics, health status, comorbidities, self-reported foot and knee pain, function and disability, and observed structural foot disorders, body mass index, and ankle muscle strength were assessed on 717 participants. The associations of foot disorders, foot pain, and ankle muscle weakness with function and disability were examined with regression analyses. Foot disorders were not associated with functional outcomes or disability. Ankle weakness was associated with performance-based function (p = .005), self-report function (p < .001), and disability (p = .009). Foot pain was associated with self-report function (P = .01) and disability (p = .007). Foot pain and ankle weakness seem to be related to important health outcomes among older adults.