Foot self-care knowledge, practices and associated factors among individuals diagnosed with diabetes attending clinics at base hospitals in Colombo, Sri Lanka: an analytical cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Diabetic foot is an infection, ulceration or destruction of the tissue of the foot of a person diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM). Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a major and preventable complication of DM. Adequate knowledge and foot self-care practices are crucial to reduce the risk of DFU complications, particularly in resource-limited healthcare settings. OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge and practices related to foot self-care and associated factors among individuals diagnosed with diabetes attending diabetic clinics at all base hospitals in Colombo District, Sri Lanka. METHOD: tests, independent sample t-tests and one-way ANOVA (Analysis of Variance), with a p value<0.05 considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The majority of the participants were females (71.2%). Among the participants, 33.8% of them had a poor level of knowledge regarding foot self-care. Knowledge level was significantly associated with the participants' family history of diabetes and the hospital where they attended the clinic (p<0.05). Females had a significantly higher mean knowledge score (60.5±19.7) than males (55.4±23.7) (p=0.03), and participants attending District General Hospital Avissawella had the highest mean knowledge score (67.9±21.6) among other hospitals (p=0.01). Approximately 67.6% of them demonstrated satisfactory foot self-care practices. Practice level was significantly associated with the hospital where they attended the clinic and the type of medication used for DM (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Nearly one-third of participants demonstrated poor knowledge of foot self-care, despite over half exhibiting satisfactory foot-care practices. This gap highlights the need for targeted education to boost awareness and promote consistent foot care, which is a key step in preventing diabetic foot complications and improving long-term outcomes for individuals diagnosed with diabetes.