Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Diabetic Foot Care among Diabetic Patients in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia

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Date

2021-12

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Addis Abeba University

Abstract

Background- The prevalence of diabetes continues to be a growing problem throughout the world and contributes significantly to the health care burden. One of the major complications that diabetes carries is foot ulcer. Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is one of the most feared complications and a common reason for the hospitalization of diabetic patients. The ultimate endpoint of diabetic foot disease could be amputation, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It also has significant social, psychological, and financial consequences. Objective- This study is designed to address the status of knowledge, attitude and practice of diabetic foot care and barriers to foot care practice among diabetic patients on follow up at Endocrine clinic in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methodology- This is a descriptive cross-sectional study which was done on diabetic patients on follow up at Endocrine clinic in Tikur Anbessa specialized hospital. The study included 378 diabetic patients using a convenient sampling technique. All patients whose records met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. SPSS version 25 was used for data analyses. Knowledge, attitude, and practice of foot care were assessed using descriptive statistics and bivariable and multivariable logistic regression. Results- A total of 378 study diabetic patients were included in this study where the mean age of the participants was 54 years. There was comparable sex distribution. The mean knowledge score using questionnaires adapted from recommendations by American College of Foot and Ankle surgeons was 12.1 1.94 of which 47.6% and 52.4% had good and poor knowledge of diabetes foot care respectively. The mean attitude score using questionnaires adapted from a previous Saudi study was 3.85 0.90 of which 73.5% had good attitude and the remaining 26.5% had poor attitude towards foot care. The practice score using questionnaires that were adapted from the Nottingham Assessment of Functional Foot Care (NAFFC) was considered good if the participants scored above mean. Based on that, 54.5% of the participants had good practice while 45.5% of the participants were considered to have poor practice. With regards to barriers of foot care nearly one third didn’t know what to do, 27.5% didn’t think it was important, and 6.9% of the participants mentioned poor communication between patients and HCP. Conclusion and recommendation- Knowledge and practice of foot care among diabetes patients in our study participants weren’t satisfactory. The result of this study displays the gaps in their knowledge and practice and puts an emphasis on the need for patient education. Most patients are reported to have good attitude which can signify that patients are willing to learn and practice if they get access to proper diabetes education. In conclusion, it is important to focus on the role of health education to minimize diabetic foot complications.

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Keywords

Diabetic Foot Care,Diabetic patients

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