A study of risk factors associated with diabetic foot, knowledge and practice of foot care among diabetic patients

Objective: To study the risk factors associated with diabetic foot and the patients' knowledge and practice regarding the same. Design: A cross sectional study was performed to access the risk factors and study the patients' knowledge and practice involved in diabetes mellitus in a metropolitan hospital set up at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Materials and methods: One hundred diabetic patients were reviewed by a cross sectional method in the medical wards in a tertiary hospital. Results: A total of 53% of them had a diabetic foot. Twenty five out of 100 subjects had a score of knowledge about diabetic foot care of 4, which is the lower end of the scale. Score of practice of foot care among subjects showed right deviation that had higher extreme value. There was a significant association between peripheral sensory neuropathy and diabetic foot (Chi square = 9.916, p = 0.002, < 0.05) and also a significant association between peripheral vascular disease and diabetic foot (Chi square = 11.421, p = 0.001). The incidence of peripheral vascular disease was higher among subjects with diabetic foot (18%) but there was no significant association between hypertension and diabetic foot (p = 0.393) or knowledge about foot care and diabetic foot (p = 0.159). There was also no significant association between practice of foot care in subjects with diabetic foot and those without diabetic foot. Conclusion: In the present study, we highlight the significant association of diabetic foot with peripheral neuropathy and vascular disease with no association between patients' knowledge and practice of foot care. Understanding of proper foot care would help numerous diabetes mellitus patients in day to day life.