Unveiling the Status of Foot Self-Care Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in Western India: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND

Diabetic foot is a major complication of diabetes with a recurrence rate of 66% and an amputation rate of 12%. The first step in addressing the healthcare needs and necessary interventions for diabetic foot care is to assess the existing knowledge and practices among diabetic patients. With this objective, the study was conducted.

METHODOLOGY

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted over six months. Pre-tested, validated, and structured questionnaire, containing sociodemographic, knowledge, and diabetic foot care practice domains, was administered to type 2 diabetes mellitus patients above the age of 30 years by interview technique. Spearman correlation and chi-square test were used for multivariate analysis. Results were reported with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and a statistically significant -value of <0.05.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 51.12 ± 10.5 years. The sample included an equal proportion of males and females (50% each). Among the participants, 136 (82.42%) lacked adequate knowledge of foot hygiene, and 96% were unaware of how to perform self-examination of their feet at home.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of patients had poor knowledge and practice of diabetic foot care. Hence, they're more likely to end up with diabetic foot. This study emphasizes the preventable aspect of diabetic foot and how poor knowledge and practices can play a detrimental role in the occurrence of diabetic foot.