Impact of Foot Problems: Qualitative Study on Social Participation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Impact of Foot problems: Qualitative Study on Social participation in older people
IRAS ID
322249
Contact name
Gavin Wylie
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Dundee
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 8 months, 0 days
Research summary
Social participation is defined as a person’s involvement in activities that provide interaction with others in the community. For older people social participation is increasingly recognised as an indicator of health and well-being. Examples of social participation include community events, walking groups, volunteering, or spending time with friends and family. Social participation is important because research shows that older people who are socially active tend to be happier, less lonely, and report fewer health conditions.
Foot problems affect around one in four older people, and we know that foot problems can have a negative impact on older peoples' social participation. However, we do not clearly understand how low social participation emerges in relation to foot problems or what solutions might be appropriate. Importantly, this has not been previously studied. The aim of this study is to understand the experiences of social participation in older people living with foot problems.
This 20-month study is funded by a grant from a foot health research charity called Great Foundations. To find participants, we will advertise the study publicly, approach older peoples’ groups, and ask clinicians to help us to identify people who may be eligible to take part. Potential participants will be asked to complete a short questionnaire by telephone to assess their eligibility. If people are interested in participating, we will ask for consent and arrange an interview. Interviews will be recorded, will last around 45 minutes and will explore participants' experiences of foot problems and their impact on social participation. Participants will be able to take part in person, online or by telephone. We will also conduct focus groups with up to 12 participants' significant others who play an important role in the lives of participants with foot problems that we recruit.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 2
REC reference
23/NS/0033
Date of REC Opinion
25 Apr 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion