The impact of work-related foot pain on work and personal life: an interview study

The occurrence of foot pain is high, especially in those with physically demanding occupations. Work-related foot pain has been shown to impact work performance, family life, and leisure activities. While prevalence across various sectors is documented, research exploring experiences and total life impact of work-related foot pain remains limited.

The aim of this study was to explore experiences of living with foot pain among individuals employed in highly demanding physical occupations, and occupations characterised by prolonged standing or walking.

A qualitative, semi-structured interview-based approach was chosen. Twelve individual interviews were conducted with nine women and three men, and analysed using Qualitative Content Analysis.

One main theme, Walking a fine line - Balancing challenges in multiple aspects of life due to work-related foot pain, and three sub-themes were identified, describing how external work-environment factors and internal experiences of autonomy impact an individual's overall life situation, including impact on family life and the mental toll of living and working with foot pain. The sub-theme Struggling with increased pain due to work conditions and environment highlights how factors such as certain types of floors, physical work demands, time spent on the feet, walking, heavy lifting, and inadequate footwear directly exacerbate pain. The sub-theme Feeling like just another cog in the machine due to limited control over workplace organisation reflects difficulties for employees in influencing work tasks, planning daily work tasks and responsibilities, a lack of recovery during the workday, and communication within the workplace. The sub-theme Experiencing inequality and low quality of life outside of work describes the consequences for individuals' personal lives, including restricted social participation, strained family relations, negative emotions, and sleep disturbances. Overall, the individuals expressed a sense of resignation, feeling that they had to "grit their teeth" and continue working despite the pain.

The central findings of this study are negative experiences and struggles, during both work and leisure time. Understanding the experiences of individuals with work-related foot pain can help employers and healthcare providers to identify work-related risks and consider preventative measures, although further research on this topic is needed.

Not applicable.