Journal of Diabetes Research

Research Article

Foot Complications in a Representative Australian Inpatient Population

Table 5

Participant characteristics and univariate analysis for peripheral arterial disease, peripheral neuropathy, and foot deformity.


Variables	All	Peripheral arterial disease			Peripheral neuropathy			Foot deformity
Variables	All	n (%)	Odds ratio (95% CI)	value	n (%)	Odds ratio (95% CI)	value	n (%)	Odds ratio (95% CI)	value

Participants	733	153/728 (21.0%)			160/728 (22.0%)			158/706 (22.4%)
Demographics
Age: mean (SD) years	62.0 (18.6)	70.5 (13.3)	1.04 (1.03–1.05)	<0.001	70.1 (14.1)	1.04 (1.02–1.05)	<0.001	72.3 (14.4)	1.05 (1.04–1.06)	<0.001
Age: median (IQR) years	65 (50–76)	73 (63–81)		<0.001	73 (62–80)		<0.001	75 (66–82)		<0.001
Age groups				<0.001			<0.001			<0.001
18–40 years	110 (15.0%)	4 (2.6%)	1.00		6 (3.8%)	1.00		5 (3.2%)	1.00
41–60 years	188 (25.7%)	28 (18.3%)	4.70 (1.60–13.78)	0.005	29 (18.2%)	3.22 (1.29–8.03)	0.012	19 (12.1%)	2.33 (0.84–6.43)	0.103
61–80 years	316 (43.2%)	82 (53.6%)	9.41 (3.36–26.34)	<0.001	87 (54.7%)	6.64 (2.81–15.69)	<0.001	88 (56.1%)	7.84 (3.09–19.91)	<0.001
81+ years	117 (16.0%)	39 (25.5%)	13.25 (4.55–38.62)	<0.001	37 (23.3%)	8.02 (3.23–19.93)	<0.001	45 (28.7%)	12.60 (4.76–33.36)	<0.001
Male sex	408 (55.8)	97 (63.4%)	1.48 (1.03–2.14)	0.037	93 (58.1%)	1.12 (0.79–1.60)	0.525	74 (46.8%)	0.62 (0.44–0.89)	0.009

Social determinants
Socioeconomic status	711			0.020			0.798			0.274
Most disadvantaged	102 (14.4%)	32 (21.8%)	1.00		24 (15.5%)	1.00		22 (14.5%)	1.00
Second most disadvantaged	159 (22.4%)	34 (23.1%)	0.59 (0.33–1.04)	0.066	34 (21.9%)	0.88 (0.48–1.59)	0.661	35 (23.0%)	1.03 (0.56–1.89)	0.927
Middle	98 (13.8%)	13 (8.8%)	0.33 (0.16–0.67)	0.002	21 (13.5%)	0.86 (0.44–1.68)	0.666	16 (10.5%)	0.67 (0.33–1.36)	0.264
Second least disadvantaged	240 (33.8%)	49 (33.3%)	0.55 (0.32–0.93)	0.025	56 (36.1%)	0.97 (9.56–1.68)	0.910	49 (32.2%)	0.89 (0.51–1.58)	0.698
Least disadvantaged	112 (15.8%)	19 (12.9%)	0.43 (0.23–0.83)	0.012	20 (12.9%)	0.69 (0.35–1.34)	0.272	30 (19.7%)	1.40 (0.74–2.65)	0.300
Geographic remoteness	711			0.604			0.556			0.180
Major city	435 (61.2%)	87 (59.2%)	1.00		98 (63.2%)	1.00		103 (67.8%)	1.00
Inner regional area	153 (21.5%)	30 (20.4%)	0.98 (0.62–1.56)	0.943	32 (20.6%)	0.93 (0.59–1.46)	0.742	28 (18.4%)	0.73 (0.46–1.17)	0.196
Outer regional area	66 (9.3%)	17 (11.6%)	1.38 (0.76–2.51)	0.297	10 (15.2%)	0.61 (0.30–1.24)	0.173	15 (9.9%)	0.92 (0.50–1.71)	0.793
Remote area	30 (4.2%)	5 (3.4%)	0.79 (0.30–2.13)	0.646	9 (5.8%)	1.47 (0.65–3.30)	0.357	2 (1.3%)	0.23 (0.05–0.97)	0.046
Very remote area	27 (3.8%)	8 (5.4%)	1.67 (0.71–3.94)	0.242	6 (3.9%)	0.98 (0.38–2.49)	0.961	4 (2.6%)	0.53 (0.18–1.58)	0.256
<10-year education level	395 (54.0%)	97 (63.4%)	1.64 (1.14–2.37)	0.008	92 (57.9%)	1.23 (0.86–1.76)	0.252	98 (62.0%)	1.54 (1.07–2.21)	0.020
Indigenous	34 (4.6%)	12 (7.9%)	2.16 (1.04–4.46)	0.039	9 (5.6%)	1.29 (0.59–2.83)	0.521	7 (4.5%)	0.94 (0.40–2.20)	0.881
Born overseas	161 (22.0%)	33 (21.6%)	0.96 (0.62–1.47)	0.839	29 (18.1%)	0.73 (0.47–1.14)	0.164	35 (22.3%)	1.02 (0.67–1.56)	0.925

Medical condition history
Diabetes	172 (23.5%)	60 (39.2%)	2.70 (1.84–3.96)	<0.001	74 (46.3%)	4.18 (2.86–6.11)	<0.001	51 (32.3%)	1.76 (1.20–2.63)	0.004
Hypertension	359 (49.0%)	97 (63.4%)	2.10 (1.45–3.03)	<0.001	92 (57.5%)	1.55 (1.09–2.20)	0.016	95 (60.1%)	1.75 (1.22–2.50)	0.002
Dyslipidaemia	234 (31.9%)	66 (43.1%)	1.87 (1.30–2.70)	0.001	65 (40.6%)	1.63 (1.13–2.34)	0.008	53 (33.5%)	1.09 (0.75–1.58)	0.671
Myocardial infarct	146 (19.9%)	42 (27.5%)	1.73 (1.15–2.62)	0.009	38 (23.8%)	1.33 (0.87–2.02)	0.187	43 (27.2%)	1.66 (1.10–2.50)	0.016
Cerebrovascular accident	85 (11.6%)	29 (19.0%)	2.17 (1.33–3.54)	0.002	24 (15.0%)	1.47 (0.88–2.44)	0.140	21 (13.3%)	1.22 (0.72–2.08)	0.456
Chronic kidney disease	89 (12.1%)	38 (24.8%)	3.47 (2.17–5.54)	<0.001	32 (20.0%)	2.24 (1.40–3.61)	0.001	28 (17.7%)	1.79 (1.09–2.91)	0.020
Smoker	104 (14.2%)	21 (13.7%)	0.96 (0.57–1.60)	0.866	18 (11.3%)	0.72 (0.42–1.24)	0.235	10 (6.3%)	0.35 (0.18–0.69)	0.002
Ex-smoker	304 (41.5%)	69 (45.1%)	1.21 (0.84–1.73)	0.308	66 (41.3%)	0.98 (0.69–1.40)	0.914	68 (43.0%)	1.07 (0.75–1.53)	0.717
Cancer	174 (23.7%)	29 (19.0%)	0.71 (0.45–1.10)	0.127	45 (28.1%)	1.35 (0.90–2.00)	0.143	39 (24.7%)	1.09 (0.72–1.64)	0.694
Arthritis	274 (37.4%)	77 (50.3%)	1.99 (1.39–2.86)	<0.001	73 (45.6%)	1.57 (1.10–2.24)	0.013	82 (51.9%)	2.24 (1.55–3.19)	<0.001
Depression	191 (26.1%)	36 (23.5%)	0.85 (0.56–1.29)	0.440	41 (25.6%)	0.97 (0.65–1.45)	0.877	44 (27.8%)	1.09 (0.74–1.63)	0.660
Acute foot trauma	26 (3.5%)	5 (3.3%)	0.89 (0.33–2.40)	0.820	9 (5.6%)	1.93 (0.84–4.42)	0.119	6 (3.8%)	1.04 (0.41–2.64)	0.931

Self-care ability
Mobility impairment	242 (33.2%)	78 (51.0%)	2.66 (1.84–3.83)	<0.001	95 (59.4%)	4.23 (2.93–6.12)	<0.001	89 (56.3%)	3.59 (2.49–5.19)	<0.001
Vision impairment	110 (15.1%)	37 (24.2%)	2.22 (1.42–3.46)	<0.001	33 (20.6%)	1.68 (1.07–2.64)	0.026	37 (23.6%)	2.14 (1.37–3.34)	0.001
Footwear worn: inside				0.002			0.006			0.007
Low-risk footwear	81 (11.1%)	19 (12.4%)	1.00		27 (17.0%)	1.00		22 (13.9%)	1.00
Moderate-risk footwear	263 (36.1%)	74 (48.4%)	1.28 (0.72–2.28)	0.408	66 (41.5%)	0.67 (0.39–1.16)	0.151	73 (46.2%)	1.07 (0.61–1.87)	0.813
High-risk footwear	139 (19.1%)	19 (12.4%)	0.53 (0.26–1.06)	0.074	25 (15.7%)	0.44 (0.24–0.83)	0.012	23 (14.6%)	0.56 (0.29–1.08)	0.083
No footwear worn	245 (33.7%)	41 (26.8%)	0.66 (0.36–1.21)	0.178	41 (25.8%)	0.40 (0.23–0.71)	0.002	40 (25.3%)	0.56 (0.31–1.01)	0.054
Footwear worn: outside				0.065			0.015			0.316
Low-risk footwear	386 (53.2%)	89 (58.6%)	1.00		91 (57.2%)	1.00		85 (54.1%)	1.00
Moderate-risk footwear	75 (10.3%)	19 (12.5%)	1.13 (0.64–2.01)	0.670	16 (10.1%)	0.88 (0.48–1.60)	0.674	22 (14.0%)	1.43 (0.82–2.49)	0.207
High-risk footwear	250 (34.4%)	39 (25.7%)	0.62 (0.41–0.94)	0.026	44 (27.7%)	0.70 (0.47–1.05)	0.081	47 (29.9%)	0.81 (0.55–1.21)	0.313
No footwear worn	15 (2.1%)	5 (3.3%)	1.67 (0.56–5.01)	0.361	8 (5.0%)	3.71 (1.31–10.50)	0.014	3 (1.9%)	0.92 (0.25–3.38)	0.901

Past foot treatment
Yes	256 (34.9%)	83 (54.2%)	2.80 (1.95–4.04)	<0.001	86 (53.8%)	2.77 (1.93–3.96)	<0.001	86 (54.4%)	2.80 (1.95–4.02)	<0.001
Podiatry	180 (24.6%)	62 (40.5%)	2.67 (1.82–3.91)	<0.001	67 (41.9%)	2.93 (2.01–4.27)	<0.001	73 (46.2%)	3.71 (2.54–5.42)	<0.001
GP	93 (12.7%)	36 (23.5%)	2.85 (1.79–4.54)	<0.001	37 (23.1%)	2.81 (1.77–4.45)	<0.001	25 (15.8%)	1.42 (0.86–2.25)	0.168
Surgeon	36 (4.9%)	20 (13.1%)	5.61 (2.80–11.26)	<0.001	18 (11.3%)	4.11 (2.07–8.18)	<0.001	14 (8.9%)	2.71 (1.33–5.53)	0.006
Physician	21 (2.9%)	9 (5.9%)	2.93 (1.21–7.09)	0.017	8 (5.0%)	2.25 (0.92–5.52)	0.078	9 (5.7%)	2.95 (1.20–7.25)	0.018
Nurse	20 (2.7%)	10 (6.5%)	3.95 (1.61–9.68)	0.003	11 (6.9%)	4.59 (1.87–11.27)	0.001	9 (5.7%)	3.25 (1.30–8.14)	0.012
Orthotist	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.7%)	1.25 (0.13–12.14)	0.845	3 (1.9%)	10.83 (1.12–104.88)	0.040	1 (0.6%)	1.74 (0.16–19.30)	0.652
Other	9 (1.2%)	2 (1.3%)	1.08 (0.22–5.23)	0.929	1 (0.6%)	0.44 (0.06–3.55)	0.441	3 (1.9%)	1.75 (0.43–7.07)	0.433

Foot risk factors
Peripheral neuropathy	160 (22.0%)	62 (40.5%)	3.35 (2.27–4.95)	<0.001	—	—	—	66 (42.0%)	3.69 (2.50–5.45)	<0.001
PAD	153 (21.0%)	—	—	—	62 (39.0%)	3.35 (2.27–4.95)	<0.001	53 (33.8%)	2.43 (1.63–3.62)	<0.001
Foot deformity	158 (22.4%)	52 (35.8%)	2.43 (1.63–3.62)	<0.001^a	66 (42.3%)	3.69 (2.50–5.45)	<0.001^a	—	—	—

; . ^aExplanatory variable excluded from multivariate model as considered not on causal pathway for outcome; CI: confidence interval; GP: general practitioner; IQR: interquartile range; PAD: peripheral arterial disease; SD: standard deviation.