Bridging the Gap: Foot Care Practices and Diabetic Foot Risk Among Patients with Diabetes Attending an NCD Clinic in Chennai - A Cross-Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51957/Healthline_850_2026Keywords:
Diabetic Foot Problems, Foot Care Practices, 60-Second Foot Screening Tool , Barriers to Good-Foot-Care PracticeAbstract
Background: Diabetic foot complications are a major cause of morbidity among patients with diabetes and are preventable through appropriate foot care practices. Early risk identification and foot care assessment helps to prevent diabetic foot complications.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with diabetes who were attending the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) clinic of a tertiary care hospital in Chennai over a period of two months. Data were collected using an interviewer-guided questionnaire. Foot risk assessment and Foot practices was assessed using the 60-Second Foot Screening Tool and a validated structured questionnaire. Statistical analysis included the fisher test for association and the ANOVA for comparison of means.
Results: Among the 175 participants with diabetes, 52.5% were classified as Category-0, 16.5% as Category-1, 14.2% as Category-2, and 16.5% as Category-3 foot risk. Overall, 38.6% demonstrated good foot care practices, 42.0% had moderate practices and 19.4% had poor practices.A significant association was observed between the duration of diabetes and foot risk category (p < 0.001). Duration of diabetes was also significantly associated with foot care practices (p = 0.001).
Conclusion: According to the outcomes, the frequency of diabetic foot complications amongst the patients with diabetes is extremely high and linked to many controllable factors, such as inadequate foot hygiene, inappropriate glycemic control in the body, inappropriate footwear and barefoot walking.
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