242 Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association The rate of foot problems among the elderly is nearly double that for the general population. The percent- age of individuals aged 65 years and older who suffer from foot problems has been found to vary from 40% to 86%. 1-5 The most common foot problems reported by elderly individuals are nail problems (in particu- lar, hard, thickened nails), calluses, bunions, corns, hallux valgus, aching and swollen feet, and circulato- ry problems. 4, 6 Foot problems can lead to foot pain and discomfort, limiting opportunities for sustained activity. 4, 6 Furthermore, foot problems have been implicated as a risk factor for falls. 7 Therefore, elder- ly individuals require appropriate foot care if they are to remain mobile and maintain independence and freedom from pain. 8 However, many elderly individu- als do not visit medical personnel about their feet. In 1977 it was found that between 65% and 75% of indi- viduals with specific foot problems had never sought professional care for these problems and that less than 5% were receiving treatment at the time of the survey. 8 Nevertheless, many elderly individuals do regularly visit their general practitioner. 9 Thus, al- though foot problems have serious consequences for the older individual, it would seem that many individ- uals surveyed 20 years ago did not attribute great importance to foot pain or discomfort and did not visit medical personnel about their feet owing to such factors as the cost, inaccessibility, or lack of services specific to foot care or a lack of knowledge of the importance of proper foot care. 4 With increased podiatric medical services now available in the community, the question arises whether these services are used more frequently today compared with 2 decades ago. The purpose of the present study was to examine the foot problems, rates of utilization of foot-health services, and the perception of foot problems as medical conditions among persons aged 65 years and older who were living independently in the community. Furthermore, the study aimed to identify differences between pat- terns of foot problems and foot care experienced by elderly males versus elderly females. Methods Subjects A total of 1,715 residences located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, were contact- ed by telephone. Telephone numbers were chosen The authors conducted a mail survey that examined foot problems, rates of utilization of foot-health services, and the perception of foot problems as medical conditions in a sample of people aged 65 years and older who lived independently. Although 71% of the 128 respon- dents reported suffering from foot problems, only 39% had consulted medical personnel about their feet, and only 26% identified their foot pathologies as medical conditions. More female than male respon- dents experienced foot problems and had visited medical personnel about their feet. Increased education of older individuals about their foot-care requirements, as well as increased access to podiatric medi- cal services, is recommended. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 88(5): 242- 248, 1998) *PhD candidate, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia. †Senior Lecturer, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. Foot-Care Awareness A Survey of Persons Aged 65 Years and Older BRIDGET JEAN MUNRO, BSc (Hons)* JULIE ROBYN STEELE, PhD†