FOOT SELF-CARE AND EXERCISE AWARENESS AMONG THE PATIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS

Backgroundː The importance of a patient's understanding of proper foot care is critical to preventing diabetic foot problems and amputations. In order to reduce the incidence of foot ulcers and complications, it is essential to translate awareness into appropriate foot care practices. An educated patient has a lower risk of developing foot ulcers and subsequently needing to have amputations. Various scientific societies and organizations provide guidelines for the proper practice and education of foot care. Methodsː The present study was conducted over the course of 12 months from 2023 to 2024 in Hail city, Saudi Arabia. An ethical approval was obtained from Hail University Research Ethical Committee (REC) at the University of Hail (H-2023-173), and written consent was obtained from all participants. Data collected were analyzed using a validated, pretested, structured, self-assessed diabetic foot care knowledge (9 questions) and practice (11 questions) questionnaire. Resultsː Overall, 69% of participants knew how to self-care for their feet and more than half regularly practiced it. It was found that participants were well aware of the importance of wearing appropriate footwear (91.65%), yet they had a poor understanding of shoe specifications (47.86%). Conclusionsː Diabetic patients had good knowledge regarding foot self-care, while their practice was acceptable but not optimal. There is a big gap between diabetic patient knowledge and their everyday practice.