Foot Care Performance and Foot Self-Care Behaviors in Iranian Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: A diabetic foot ulcer is one of the prevent-able complications of diabetes that can lead to ampu-tation, morbidity, and mortality and increase treatment costs. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between self-care behaviors, demographic-clinical variables and, foot care performance in patients with diabetes.Materials and methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 191 patients with type 2 diabetes in Asadabad (Hamadan province) in 2021. The demographic-clinical information form, the diabetic foot care performance scale, and the diabetic foot self-care behavior scale were used to collect data. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (multiple linear regression). Data analysis was performed using R software version 4.1.0.Results: The mean age of the subjects was 50.58 +/- +/- 11.87 years, and the duration of diabetes was 8.55 +/- +/- 9.07 years. There was a significant relationship between foot self-care behavior and age (p = 0.027), primary and secondary education compared to univer-sity education (p=0.042), insulin use compared to use of oral agents and insulin (p = 0.014), the logarithm of the duration of diabetes (p = 0.0001), foot care performance (p = 0.010).Conclusions: The status of self-care behaviors in pa-tients with diabetes is unfavorable, and it is necessary to provide the necessary training to these patients to improve self-care and foot care. (Clin Diabetol 2022; 11; 5: 309-315)