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Diabetic patients may develop foot problems which can lead to
foot ulcers, foot infection, lower extremity amputation and
even patient death, consumed enormous social resources.
Proper foot care reduces the incidence of foot complications
in diabetic patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate
the effectiveness of foot care program to promote knowledge and
behaviors of self-foot-care for people with Diabetes
Mellitus. A two-group quasi-experimental design was used.
The research subjects were volunteers from the metabolic
outpatient department of a medical center in Taipei. The
patient in this study consisted of fifty-one diabetics in the
experimental group and fifty-one diabetics in the comparative
group. The research subjects were at the ages from 20 to 81
years old. The experimental group received foot care
program which included individual foot care education,
diabetic foot risk awareness, and individual follow up. The
comparative group received routine care at the metabolic
outpatient department. lAll data were collected by
interviewing the patients with a structural
questionnaire which was designed by the researcher to evaluate
the effectiveness of the foot care program. The interviews
were conducted before the program and within three to five
weeks after the program. All data were processed using the
SPSS for Windows and analyzed by percentage, mean, standard
deviation, t Test, Chi-square Test, Paired t Test, one-way
ANOVA, ANCOVA, Wilcoxon Matched- Pairs Signed- Rank Test、
Mann- Whitney U Test、Kruskal -Wallis one way ANOVA、Spearman
Rank - Order Correlation and Multiple Regression.The major
findings of this study were that 1)The patients had
insufficient knowledge of proper self-foot-care, such as
nail cutting, choosing the suitable shoes and socks, and solving
the problem of foot. The patients lacked correct behaviors
of proper self-foot-care, such as self-inspect, foot skin
care, and foot exercises.2)The elderly didn''t have
sufficient knowledge of proper self-foot-care . Those who had
not ever received foot care information lacked correct
behaviors of self-foot-care . Those who had sufficient
knowledge of proper self-foot -care, tend to care for their
feet properly . 3) The patients in the experimental group had
acquired statistically significantly more knowledge and
behaviors of proper self -foot - care after they completes
the foot care program . 4) The elderly made more
progress in knowledge of self-foot-care after program. The
comparative group and those who had correct behaviors of
self-foot-care , the behaviors of self- foot-care did not
significantly change after program.
In conclusion , the knowledge and behaviors of self-foot-care
for diabetics was insufficient. Thus, the patients were not
able to care for their feet properly.This foot care program was
effective in promoting the knowledge and behaviors of self
-foot -care for diabetics. These results can be a reference for
nursing practice, nursing education and future research.
Key words： Diabetes Mellitus, foot care program,self-foot-care
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