The investigation of foot care behaviors of diabetic patients who have seen diabetic foot

INTRODUCTION: The foot care is important to prevent diabetic foot. The diabetic foot negative affects person, their family and society. The aim of this research is to investigate foot care behaviors of diabetic patients who has diabetic foot and has not diabetic foot.METHOD: The study sample included total 138 type-2 diabetic patients who came to endocrinology polyclinic of a university hospital in Izmir; 68 persons who has diabetic foot and 70 of them persons who has not diabetic foot. Data were collected with a form which including questions as regards personal/diabetes and items as a foot care behaviors in diabetes. Data were analyzed with chi-square, yates and t test.RUSULTS: The mean score of foot care behaviors who have diabetic foot is statistically lower than the mean score of foot care behaviors who have not diabetic foot. The implementing of nine foot behaviors (observation of foots everyday, drying foots, moistening foots, cutting smooth of foot nail, not to use heater when foots are cold, in the event of callus request to health professional immediately, to control shoes for harmful object, wearing orthopedic and front-closed shoes) who have diabetic foot is statistically lower than diabetic persons who have not diabetic foot.CONCLUSION: It has been observed that diabetic persons who have diabetic foot implement insufficient especially nine foot care behaviors. Therefore, it is think that the foot care behaviors in diabetes is important to prevent diabetic foot development.KEY WORDS: Foot care, foot care score, diabetic foot.