FOOT CARE PRACTICES AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG DIABETIC OUTPATIENTS AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL, IBADAN, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The population studied consists mainly of females (116), compared to the males (88) with over ninety percent of respondents being above age 50. The results from this study reveals that majority of the respondents have an average knowledge of diabetes. The result from this study reveals that there is slightly high level of knowledge of foot care preventive practices among the respondents as 54% has high knowledge of that. Findings from this study revealed that the respondents' level of foot care practice is at the average level, thus it is fairly high as 135 (66.2%), 34 (16.7%) and 35 (17.2%) has average, High and Poor practice of foot care preventive practices respectively. A major significant factor which is related to poor adherence is poor communication between patients and health care providers. Multiple regression was conducted to examine the influence of predisposing, enabling and reinforcing factors on foot care preventive practice. All three independent variables have a significant combined effect on foot care practice. The cost of treating diabetic foot ulcer was analyzed into direct and indirect costs. The indirect cost of treating diabetic foot ulcers from this study included decreased productivity, decreased quality of life, drastic effects on family responsibility. The fact that diabetes could result to loss of sensation in the feet is a clear maker that every diabetic patient is at risk of developing foot ulcer because one can get injured without noticing it if the foot care practice is poor.