FASHION AT A COST: INVESTIGATING FOREFOOT PAIN IN HIGH-HEELED SHOE USERS AMONG FEMALE STUDENTS OF COMSATS UNIVERSITY ABBOTTABAD: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: High-heeled shoes are a widespread fashion accessory among females specially in young age, but are associated with abnormal biomechanics of the lower limb, leading to pain in forefoot. Despite the popularity of high heeled shoes, limited data exist on the occurrence of forefoot pain in usual high-heel shoes user females in university settings. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of forefoot ache among high-heeled shoe user females of COMSATS University Abbottabad Campus. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 155 female students and teachers age range from ≥18 to 40 years, who wore heels of at least 2.5 cm height for a minimum of 1 hour per day and three days per week. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire evaluating heel usage patterns and forefoot pain intensity measured with the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Data analysis was performed on SPSS version 25. Results: Out of 155 female participants, 61.94% reported experiencing pain in their forefoot. The occurrence of pain was higher amongst those who wore high-heeled shoes with heel of ≥3 inches (78.66%) compared to those females who wore heels of 1–2 inches (46.25%). Extended duration of high-heeled shoes usage per day (≥3 hours) and per week (≥5 days) significantly increased the prevalence and severity of pain in forefoot. Furthermore, 63.9% of the participants in this study reported aching calf muscle with a degree of tightness associated with high-heeled shoes usage. Conclusion: High-heeled shoe usage is significantly associated with forefoot pain in female university students and teachers. Height of the Heel, daily duration of usage, and duration per week are critical factors worsening the pain. Approaches for awareness and alertness, precautionary measures, and ergonomic footwear recommendations are crucial to decrease foot-related complications in this population.