Introduction: The purpose of this article is to assess the current status of the relationship between foot self-care and self-examination and the development of complications of diabetes mellitus.
Methodology: A systematic review of articles. We extracted assessments of health habits with regard to educational and training interventions intended for diabetic foot health care. We included clinical trials, meta-analysis, and Cochrane Reviews from 2008 to December 2014.
Results: We included 34 articles in this review. The initial number of articles selected was 35, including 12 from PubMed, 12 from Webs of Knowledge, and 4 Cochrane reviews that were considered valid as they complied with the requirements set: they related to interventions reducing foot complications caused by diabetes.
Conclusion: Strategies aimed at behavioral changes are effective for the metabolic control of the disease and for the reduction of amputations. However, given the current methodology deficit existing in most studies with regard to sample selection and length of the study, it is necessary to validate a reliable tool or measurement to indicate the status of healthy behavior development and to sustain such measures over time.
Levels of evidence: Therapeutic, Level III: Systematic review of level I-III studies.
Keywords: diabetes; diabetic foot; quality of life; self-care; systematic review.
© 2015 The Author(s).