Background: Diabetic foot has been considered as a major health problem in adults, because of its high incidence in
recent years. Self-care programs have a role in the early prevention of morbidity and mortality rate of the diabetic foot, promoting
patients knowledge and self-care practices are a crucial need in this regard. Aim of the study: To evaluate the effectiveness of
health education program regarding foot self-care on risk for developing foot ulcer among patients with diabetes Research design:
A quasi-experimental research design was used to conduct the current study. Setting: The current study was conducted in diabetes
unit and outpatient clinics, at Benha university hospital, during the period from the beginning of September 2018 to beginning of
June 2019. Subjects: A purposive sample of 132 patients recruited according to the study formula based on the total number of
patients who admitted to the study settings during 2017, were randomly assigned into 68 patients in control group and 64 patients
in intervention group, using permuted randomization table. Tools of data collection: Four tools were utilized for data collection,
Tool I- Structured interviewing questionnaire sheet, involved (part 3) Structured Knowledge questionnaire, Tool II- Self-care
confidence scale, Tool III- Foot self-care behavior scale and Tool IV- Inlow’s 60-second Diabetic Foot Screen. Results: Showed
that mean score regarding knowledge, foot self-care confidence and behavior among intervention group were significantly higher
after implementing intervention than among control group with a lower incidence of complications as well as there was a highly
significant association between knowledge and self-efficacy among the studied groups, moreover the risk of developing foot
ulcer was significantly lower among intervention group compared to control group post program implementation. Conclusion:
The effectiveness of self-care educational program was approved in improving patients’ knowledge, self-care confidence,
behavior and in return lowering the risk of developing foot ulcer. Recommendation: Based on findings in this study, regular
continuing self-care programs should be designed to enhance patients’ ability to care for their foot with an emphasis on the most
important risk factors and appropriate management in a large population. |
