Research of Knowledge and Attitudes of Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcer Regarding Foot Care
Diabetes Mellitus is observing a rapid rise in terms of its prevalence and further increase is expected from 463 million in 2019 to 700 million in 2045. With the increasing age of diabetes, the complications advance too and diabetic foot ulcers is one of them. Uncontrolled Diabetes manifests in the form of neuropathy and ischemia which then causes gangrene eventually progressing to foot amputation. Acelya TURKMEN and colleagues hence conducted a research study titled “Research of Knowledge and Attitudes of Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcer Regarding Foot Care” and the summary has been given below.
Objectives:
To analyze the diabetic foot ulcer patients’ knowledge and attitudes regarding foot care.
Methods:
The participants of the study were those who were diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in the diabetic foot service of a university hospital in Istanbul. 73 patients were selected using random sampling method. The data was collected using a survey questionnaire and analyzed via SPSS and chi-square tests.
Findings:
The study reflects that gender (male), smoking, duration of illness and poor glycemic control are the major risk factors for the development of diabetic foot ulcers.
Besides, majority of patients do not receive education about diabetic foot and do not have a positive attitude about performing certain applications.
Hence it is imperative to provide training on adequate foot care and thereby encourage positive behavioural changes in patients with diabetes.
The quality of life can therefore be enhanced by imparting reducing the lack of awareness that patients have and hence minimize the possibility of developing severe complications.
Limitations:
The study is limited to diabetic foot patients that were admitted in the diabetic foot care centre who met the guidelines of the study and gave consent to participate.
Image Credit : Woman photo created by wirestock – www.freepik.com