PREVALENCE OF FOOT PROBLEMS IN OLDER ADULTS IN SOUTHERN ECUADORIAN GERONTOLOGICAL CENTERS

Abstract

Objective: determine the prevalence of foot problems in older adults in southern Ecuadorian gerontological centers. Materials and methods: a transversal study was conducted on 136 older adults from 11 gerontological centers. The data were collected through a form and processed through the SPSS software version 15. Statistics such as frequency, percentage, average, and standard deviation were calculated.  Results: of 136 older adults, 59.6% were women, 34.6% were between 65 and 74 years old, and 34.6% between 75 and 84 years old. 71.3% resided in rural areas, and 66.2% had primary education. 100% of the population presented some foot problem. The most prevalent pathology type was dermatological (97.1%), followed by biomechanical pathology (80.1%), and vascular and neuro-peripheral pathology (61.8%). The most prevalent lesion, regardless of sex, was hyperkeratosis with 77.8%. Conclusions: approaching foot problems in the older adult population requires early recognition of risk, etiological, and psychosocial factors. The high prevalence of foot problems found in this study highlights the importance of training health personnel and patients about foot care with a preventive approach.