Factors Associated With Foot Complications Among Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Semi‐Urban Udupi District

OBJECTIVES: Diabetic foot disorders continue to be among the most prevalent and overlooked complications associated with diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with diabetic foot complications in semi-urban Udupi District. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional study. 25,000 individuals living in Udupi district were screened for diabetes mellitus, and among them, 3844 individuals were found to have type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Further, detailed anthropometry and foot assessments were performed for these individuals. RESULTS: In this study, a total of 3844 participants aged between 40 and 75 years with T2DM were screened to determine the prevalence of foot complications. The mean age of the study participants was 59.2 years (±11.7). Of the participants, 41.3% were male and 58.7% were female. Neuropathy was present in 9.8% of the participants, and 5.6% of the participants had a foot ulcer. Among 3844 individuals, sensation, pedal pulse, vibration, and foot care awareness were factors associated with diabetic foot complications. The Bayesian Neural Network (BNN) model was also developed, and showed good predictive performance, with an AUC of 0.901 for the right foot and 0.922 for the left foot. The BNN results also show strong predictive performance. Both models predicted diabetic foot complications. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of foot complications is high in the Udupi district, and the presence of risk factors puts the individual at risk for serious complications of T2DM.