Knowledge and Factors Affecting Perceived Practice of Foot Care among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus in a Federal Medical Centre in Nigeria

Diabetic foot is one of the most dreaded complications of diabetes due to the disability it presents and the repercussions on the quality of life of individuals suffering from it. This study assessed the knowledge and factors affecting the perceived practice of foot care among patient with diabetes mellitus in Federal Medical Center, Owo, Ondo State. A cross sectional design was adopted. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 150 respondents. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of SPSS version 23. Results were presented using frequency tables and charts. Result from this study showed that 40% of the respondents had good knowledge on foot care, while 15.3% had poor knowledge on foot care. Also, 70.7% of the respondents had high level of foot care practice, while 29.3% had low level of foot care practice. Also, the study showed that the following factors affected the practice of foot care among diabetic patients: Financial weakness (65.3%); improper hospital management (82%), time frame for cleaning (52%), inadequate knowledge of foot care (66.7%), failure to get appropriate footwear (62.7%), and religious’ belief (60.7%). The study showed a significant relationship between the level of education and knowledge on foot care (X2=20.32, df =4, P=0.03), also, there was a significant relationship between knowledge and practice of foot care among respondents (X2=23.12, df=6, P=0.04). The study concluded that the level of education of the patients has a significant impact on their understanding of diabetic foot and the level of knowledge also influenced their good practice of diabetic foot.