![[ Visit Client Website ]](images/banner.gif)
Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to understand the diabetic foot-care knowledge and foot-care behaviors associated with foot ulceration in diabetic patients.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to understand the demographic characteristics of diabetic patients with foot ulceration.
The study is designed to investigate the diabetic foot-care knowledge and foot-care behaviors in diabetic patients with foot ulceration.
Methods:
A case control study was conducted in a medical center at southern Taiwan. Sixty-one diabetic patients with foot ulcers were recruited—using the structured questionnaires for demographic characteristics, diabetic foot-care knowledge, and foot-care behaviors. The subjects were selected in a convenience method. SPSS software for windows version 11.0 was applied to analyze the data.
Results:
The results indicated that the patients with foot ulcers were aged between 31 and 87 years, and were found to have high prevalence of peripheral neuropathy (95.1%). Furthermore, the findings of this investigation disclosed that the patients with foot ulcers apparently had a bad practice about foot care such as daily foot inspection, foot bathing, skin maintenance, and selection of proper shoes. Even they were insufficient in foot-care knowledge like avoiding over counter medicines for corns, keeping foot warm but never hot, and they also didn’t know that they should avoid being barefoot even if walking indoors.
Conclusion:
The patients with foot ulcers were general short of diabetic foot-care knowledge and foot-care behaviors. Even no one told them the information of foot care. Therefore, it is essential to provide educational programs about foot ulcers and prevention methods individually and thus enhance their motivation of implementation. Finally, it may improve patients’ quality of life.