Knowledge of Risk Factors for Foot Ulceration among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Attending a Tertiary Health Facility in Nigeria

Objective: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a relatively common complication of diabetes mellitus and constitutes a major cause of mortality. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of risk factors for foot ulceration among patients with diabetes in a tertiary health facility in South Western Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was initiated with participation of ۱۰۰ diabetic patients. Diabetic patients were attending the medical outpatient clinic of the University College Hospital, Ibadan. A structured and validated questionnaire was administered and data was analyzed using SPSS ۲۲. Association between sociodemographic characteristics and knowledge of risk factors for foot ulceration was evaluated by chi-square test. Results: Most of respondents were female (۶۶%). The mean age of the patients was ۵۸.۷۷ (±۱۱.۸) years and ۵۱% of patients did not know that it is possible to develop foot ulcer without feeling pain and ۳۰% did not know that features suggestive of neuropathy could be associated with development of foot ulcer. ۷۵% did not know that surgical vascular repair could play any role in the healing of a diabetic foot ulcer. ۱۱% of patients were walking barefooted at home and as much as ۶۳% of respondents did not know that poor long-term glycemic control could be a risk factor for the development of diabetic foot ulcers. Conclusion: The knowledge of the patients attending the diabetes clinic of a tertiary hospital in south-western Nigeria on foot care is generally poor. Education in this direction is very paramount to correct this defect.

کلیدواژه ها:

Diabetes mellitus ، Diabetic foot ulcer ، Knowledge