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A qualitative study exploring barriers related to use of footwear in rural highland Ethiopia: Implications for neglected tropical disease control

Ayode, Desta and McBride, Colleen M. and De Heer, Hendrik D. and Watanabe, Emi and Gebreyesus, Tsega and Tora, Abebayehu and Tadele, Getnet and Davey, Gail (2013) A qualitative study exploring barriers related to use of footwear in rural highland Ethiopia: Implications for neglected tropical disease control. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 7 (4). e2199. ISSN 1935-2727

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Publisher’s or external URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002199

Abstract

Author Summary: Consistently wearing shoes may help in preventing onset or progression of a wide range of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). This study assessed the factors that influenced shoe wearing behaviors among people living in a rural community in highland Ethiopia. In this community, a substantial proportion of people are at risk for podoconiosis, a debilitating lower leg condition that can be prevented by wearing shoes. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews, focus group discussions and extended case studies among 242 adults and systematically analyzed the information. We found that shoe wearing is intermittent, and that different factors such as cost and ability to use the shoes for certain activities (such as farming) influenced consistent shoe wearing for most people. Some factors (such as shoe size, fear of stigma) were more relevant for podoconiosis patients. Social norms were found to be increasingly supportive of shoe wearing, and children exhibited greater desire to wear shoes than adults. These findings have relevance for preventing development and progression of a variety of NTDs in a range of settings.

Item Type: Article
ID number or DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002199
Keywords: footwear; disease prevention; behavior; health behavior; shoe distribution
Subjects: R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status: Faculty/Staff
Department/Unit: College of Health and Human Services > Physical Therapy and Athletic Training
Date Deposited: 18 Oct 2015 19:20
URI: http://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/1754

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