MON-820 The Impact of Race and Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status on Diabetes Footcare Practices in Hartford County, CT

Abstract Disclosure: A. Williams: None. P. Pile: None. P. Madhavan: None. H. Wu: None. Background: The American Diabetes Association recommends foot self-care education for patients with diabetes to improve self-management and outcomes. However, individuals from certain racial and ethnic groups, as well as those with lower socioeconomic status (SES), experience a higher burden of diabetes and worse outcomes from diabetes-related lower limb complications. While previous studies have explored barriers to managing diabetic foot complications, limited data exists on how racial and SES disparities influence foot care knowledge and practices, particularly in this geographic location. Aim: To explore the relationship between race and SES and diabetes footcare knowledge and practices and assess the need for increased education on foot self-care management. Methods: During July and August 2024, using a validated instrument, anonymous diabetes footcare knowledge and practice surveys were administered to eligible patients at two Endocrinology and Metabolism clinics and one community event in Hartford County, Connecticut using convenience sampling. Survey questions included demographics, diabetes history, footcare knowledge, and footcare practices. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize self-reported demographic and diabetes history data. Footcare knowledge and practice scores were grouped into excellent, good, satisfactory, and poor categories. Chi-square test to determine the association between categorical variables and ANOVA for categorical and continuous variable association were analyzed using SAS software program. Results: Among the 102 respondents, the mean age was 55 (range: 21-89). Racial distribution: Non-Hispanic White 51%, Hispanic White 26%, Black 21%, and Asian 4%. 73% of participants had at least some college education. 65% were classified in the good or excellent knowledge category, while 41% fell into the good or excellent practice category. No statistically significant differences were found between racial and ethnic groups regarding knowledge and practice scores. Higher educational attainment and full-time employment were associated with lower knowledge scores (p = 0.026 and p = 0.001, respectively), while retirement was linked to lower practice scores (p = 0.04). Of the respondents, 75% had type 2 diabetes (n = 75), and 25% had type 1 diabetes (n = 25). Additionally, 63% of participants (n = 64) had been living with diabetes for at least 10 years. Conclusion: Preliminary data indicate a potential need for increased patient footcare education based on the overall knowledge and practice scores. While some statistically significant findings were found related to SES status, the study is limited by the convenience sampling method and may lack generalizability. As this is a pilot study, future studies will incorporate additional clinical sites and recruit a larger sample size to better understand these relationships. Presentation: Monday, July 14, 2025