Risk factors for foot ulcers--a cross sectional survey from a primary care setting in Brazil

Abstract

Aims: To identify the prevalence of higher risk of foot ulceration and associated factors among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) at primary health care services.

Methods: Individuals with DM, registered at primary health care services in a municipality in southern Brazil, were interviewed and underwent foot examinations. Their risk of ulceration was classified in accordance with the recommendations of the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot. Poisson bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated.

Results: The prevalence of higher risk of foot ulceration among the 337 interviewees was 27.9% (95% CI 23.1-32.9). The following factors were associated with this risk: having been diagnosed with DM for more than 10 years (Adjusted-PR 1.669; 95% CI 1.175-2.373; p=0.004); having had previous diagnoses of acute myocardial infarction (Adjusted-PR 1.873; 95% CI 1.330-2.638; p<0.001) and stroke (Adjusted-PR 1.684; 95% CI 1.089-2.604; p=0.019); presenting interdigital mycosis (Adjusted-PR 1.539; 95% CI 1.030-2.300; p=0.035) and calluses (Adjusted-PR 1.654; 95% CI 1.117-2.451; p=0.012).

Conclusions: The prevalence of higher risk of ulceration was high, which reinforces the importance of continued education for health care professionals in order to prevent complications in the feet of these patients.

Keywords: Classification; Diabetes mellitus; Foot; Risk factors.