Influence of Health Education on Podiatric Knowledge, Self-care, and Conditions in Adults With Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE To determine if health education has an influence on podiatric knowledge, self-care, and conditions in adults with diabetes mellitus. DATA SOURCES The authors conducted a literature search for Spanish-, English-, and Portuguese-language publications using PubMed, Scopus, Dialnet, and CUIDEN. STUDY SELECTION Selected keywords related to diabetes, health education, (diabetic) foot, and self-care were searched, and the titles, abstracts, and relevant full-text articles were screened. Thirteen studies were selected with a total of 1,296 participants. Four were randomized controlled trials, and nine were quasi-experimental studies. DATA EXTRACTION Data pertaining to preventive intervention and study outcomes were extracted. DATA SYNTHESIS The preventive interventions used varied from traditional educational workshops and one-on-one patient education to new technological strategies. Three different outcomes were evaluated in each study: podiatric knowledge (n = 4), foot self-care (n = 13), and foot problems (n = 2). CONCLUSIONS Health education interventions increase podiatric self-care in adults with diabetes mellitus. These interventions appear to contribute positively to foot health and podiatric knowledge.