Knowledge, practice and attitude towards foot care among adults living with diabetes in Gadarif State, Eastern Sudan: Cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction

Diabetic foot ulceration (DFU) represents a serious medical challenge for all countries across the globe, especially in Sudan. The main aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, practice, and attitude among individuals with diabetes toward foot care in Gadarif state in Eastern Sudan.

Methods

This cross-sectional study recruited 430 individuals with diabetes in the Gadarif Diabetes Center located in the Eastern Sudan. We have used Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis.

Result

Almost 96.3% of the participants had type 2 diabetes. The median duration since diagnosis was 7 years. More than one-third of them (34.7%) used insulin while 70.7% used metformin. Only 10% of the participants reported they had experienced a foot ulcer before, while only 10.9% reported that they currently have a foot ulcer. 60.5% of the participants reported that they do not inspect their foot. Only 13.7% of them reported that they wear diabetic shoes. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between knowledge and employment status, inspecting foot, and washing foot with soap and water are the predictors of the participants’ knowledge towards DFU (P = 0.006, < 0.001, < .001), respectively.

Conclusion

Despite poor practice and attitude towards diabetic foot, knowledge about diabetic foot is increased among those with formal education, employment, and health education classes about diabetic foot. Therefore, more investment is needed in raising health awareness about diabetic foot in Sudan.