Footwear choice and the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in a population-based sample of people with diabetes in Barbados

OBJECTIVE: To determine footwear choice and peripheral neuropathy prevalence in a population-based sample of people with diabetes in Barbados. DESIGN AND METHODS: A representative sample of the adult population (≥ 25yrs) was selected by multistage sampling. People with a previous diagnosis of diabetes or a single fasting blood glucose ≥ 7 mmol/L or HbA1c ≥ 6.5% completed a questionnaire. Examination for neuropathy included 10g monofilament testing at 4 plantar sites per foot, 128 Hz tuning fork and vibration perception threshold (VPT) biothesiometer testing at the hallux. RESULTS: Of 237 participants (71.8% response rate, 33% male, mean age 63.2 years, range 29.6 u 95.7 years, mean HbA1c 7.2%) 50.8% had a previous diagnosis of diabetes, 2 had amputations and 4 had foot ulcers. More men (67%) compared to women (29.7%) never wore footwear in the house (p