Relationship of Body Mass Index and Foot Dysfunction in Pregnant Women
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36283/pjr.zu.14.2/008Keywords:
Activity limitation, Body mass index, Disability, Foot dysfunction, Foot function index, Pain, PregnancyAbstract
Background of the study: Pregnancy induces significant physiological changes including hormonal fluctuations and progressive weight gain, leading to musculoskeletal complications. While pregnancy-related back and leg discomfort is well-documented, research on pregnancy-specific foot dysfunction remains limited. This study investigated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and foot dysfunction in pregnant women.
Methodology: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted over six months at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital. A total of 113 pregnant women were recruited. Data collection included demographic information and the Foot Function Index (FFI) questionnaire. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to assess relationships between BMI categories and foot dysfunction parameters including pain, disability, and activity limitation.
Results: Significant positive correlations were identified between BMI and foot dysfunction across multiple domains. Pain demonstrated strong correlations with overweight (ρ=0.541, p=0.001) and obese (ρ=0.647, p=0.000) categories. Disability showed the strongest correlation with obesity (ρ=0.75, p=0.002). Activity limitation was significantly correlated with both overweight (ρ=0.43, p=0.011) and obesity (ρ=0.63, p=0.001). Higher BMI categories consistently demonstrated greater foot dysfunction severity.
Conclusion: This study establishes a significant positive though moderate monotonic correlation between elevated BMI and foot dysfunction in pregnant women, encompassing increased pain, disability, and activity limitations. These findings highlight the importance of weight management and foot care interventions during pregnancy.
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