Diabetic foot self-care practice in women with diabetes in Iran.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The present study was conducted to determine the situation of foot self-care practice among Iranian women with diabetes.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 475 women completed the Diabetic Foot Self-Care Questionnaire (DFSQ) along with other questions. The overall and three components scores including personal care, podiatric care, and foot wearing, were calculated and their relationship with other factors was analyzed.

RESULTS

The average total DFSQ score was 60.38 ± 9.9, and 16.98 ± 7, 5.95 ± 2.11, and 12.26 ± 3.95 for personal care, podiatric care, and footwear respectively. Education level, self-reported health status, and life satisfaction had a significant relationship with footwear score, and smoking and life satisfaction were related to personal care and podiatric care respectively. In Pearson regression, DM self-care was correlated with all three components and total DFSQ score. Also, depression and SCS (Social Capital Status) correlated with DFSQ scores except with personal self-care and footwear respectively. Body Mass Index (BMI) and Quality of Life (QoL) were significantly correlated with footwear and podiatric care scores.

CONCLUSION

In this study, the DFSQ result was almost acceptable, however, it highlights the importance of suitable interventions to establish better self-care practice among Iranian diabetic women.