Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Regarding the Risk of Diabetic Feet Among Diabetic Patients in the Madinah Region, Saudi Arabia

Cureus. 2023 Dec 4;15(12):e49933. doi: 10.7759/cureus.49933. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Abstract

Introduction A patient suffering from diabetes mellitus (DM) has a high chance of developing a diabetic foot. Awareness and attitude toward the prevention of diabetic foot ulcers are necessary for a better quality of life. Educating patients with diabetes about the methods of foot care plays an important role in preventing diabetic foot complications in individuals with DM. This study aims to determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices of diabetic patients about the risk of diabetic feet in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Methodology This is an observational cross-sectional study conducted using an online questionnaire. Participants were older than 18 years of age. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 27 (Released 2020; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) was used for data analysis. The questionnaire included patient personal data, patients' knowledge regarding diabetic feet, attitude, and practice regarding the risk of diabetic feet among diabetic patients. Results A total of 1155 participants completed the questionnaire. Exactly 79.9% of people had good knowledge regarding diabetic feet and their care. The analysis revealed that age, gender, education level, and family history of DM are all significant predictors of knowledge levels among the participants. The majority of participants strongly agreed that diabetic patients should promptly seek medical assistance in case of any foot infections (90.8%) and take regular checkups (76.5%). Regarding foot care practices, people generally take good care of their feet but do not seek checkups until they experience symptoms (81.8%). Conclusion The study showed that participants had good knowledge about diabetic feet and a careful attitude toward them. Their practices toward diabetic feet were acceptable; however, the issue of late medical consultation after the development of symptomatology needs to be addressed.

Keywords: attitude; diabetes milletus; diabetic foot; knowledge; practice.