Diabetic Foot Care Knowledge and Behaviors of Individuals with Diabetes Mellitus in Indonesia

The most common diabetes mellitus (DM) complication is diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), which is costly and has devastating adverse effects. It was found that 6.8 % of DM patients suffered from DFU. According to Indonesian Hospital Association, DFU was reported to cause an amputation rate of 15-30 %. The aims of this study were to assess the levels of diabetic foot care knowledge and behaviors and its relationship among diabetic patients attending Public Health Center at Bojonegoro, East Java, Indonesia. Eighty-one participants with DM were selected from two public health centers based on inclusion criteria. Modified Diabetic Foot Care Knowledge and Modified Diabetic Foot Care Behaviors Questionnaires were used in this study. The diabetic foot care knowledge and behaviors were categorized into 3 levels as poor (<60%), moderate (60-80%), and good (>80%). Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Pearson correlation coefficient was employed to analyze the correlation between diabetic foot care knowledge and behaviors among participants. Based on the result, the diabetic foot care knowledge score was at poor level (M = 57.8, SD = 14.6) of which 39.5 % of them had poor knowledge, 58 % had moderate and only 2.5 % had good knowledge. Diabetic foot care behaviors was at poor level (M = 46.7, SD = 10.9%) of which 86.4 % of them had poor behaviors and the remaining of 12.3 % had moderate behaviors. The correlations between diabetic foot care knowledge and behaviors were not significantly correlated (p = .09). The diabetic foot care knowledge and behaviors are still become the biggest concern among diabetic’s patients in Indonesia. This study showed that DM patients with good knowledge of DM foot care might not always transform their knowledge into practices. Further research is needed to enhance diabetic foot care knowledge and behaviors among DM patients in Indonesia.