Foot health of nurses-A cross-sectional study

To analyze the level of nurses' foot health and its associations with work well-being.

A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was applied to a random sample of Finnish nurses (n = 411). The data were collected between May 18 and June 21, 2015 using a self-administered Foot Health Assessment Instrument and analyzed using descriptive statistics and parametric tests.

Nurses had a variety of foot problems. Dry skin, foot pain, and corns or calluses were the most prevalent foot problems. Long-term diseases, the need for a physician's appointment due to foot problems, and decreased working ability were all associated with foot health. This finding was also supported by multivariate analysis.

Foot problems are common among nurses and are associated with individual and work-related factors. Prevention of foot problems in nurses should be prioritized to promote their working ability and predisposing factors identified as potential intervention targets.