ArticlePloS one2023
Factors influencing the use of therapeutic footwear in persons with diabetes mellitus and loss of protective sensation: A focus group study.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Do Commercially Available Insoles Meaningfully Change Reported Comfort and Biomechanics During One Day of Wear?Journal of foot and ankle research · 2026Article
- Current strategies and priorities for diabetic footwear design and production: a cross-European exploratory survey of clinicians and shoemakers.Acta diabetologica · 2026Article
- What Footwear Do People with Diabetes Mellitus Use? A Narrative Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Developing a Smart Sensing Sock to Prevent Diabetic Foot Ulcers: Qualitative Focus Group and Interview Study.Journal of participatory medicine · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPersons with diabetes mellitus (DM) and loss of protective sensation (LOPS) due to peripheral neuropathy do not use their therapeutic footwear (TF) consistently. TF is essential to prevent foot ulceration. In order to improve compliance in using TF, influencing factors need to be identified and analyzed. Persons with a history of foot ulceration may find different factors important compared with persons without ulceration or persons who have never used TF. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine factors perceived as important for the use of TF by different groups of persons with DM and LOPS.
methodA qualitative study was performed using focus group discussions. Subjects (n = 24) were divided into 3 focus groups based on disease severity: ulcer history (HoU) versus no ulcer history (no-HoU) and experience with TF (TF) versus no experience (no-TF). For each group of 8 subjects (TF&HoU; TF&no-HoU; no-TF&no-HoU), an online focus group discussion was organized to identify the most important influencing factors. Transcribed data were coded with Atlas.ti. The analysis was performed following the framework approach.
resultsThe factors comfort and fit and stability/balance were ranked in the top 3 of all groups. Usability was ranked in the top 3 of group-TF&noHoU and group-noTF&noHoU. Two other factors, reducing pain and preventing ulceration were ranked in the top 3 of group-TF&noHoU and group-TF&HoU, respectively.
conclusionExperience with TF and a HoU influence which factors are perceived as important for TF use. Knowledge of these factors during the development and prescription process of TF may lead to increased compliance. Although the main medical reason for TF prescription is ulcer prevention, only 1 group gave this factor a high ranking. Therefore, next to focusing on influencing factors, person-centered education on the importance of using TF to prevent ulcers is also required.
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