MON-633 - Diabetic Foot Knowledge and Self-Care Practices Among Diabetic Patients in A Tertiary Hospital

Introduction:
Diabetes is rising worldwide, with about 4.7 million Filipinos affected in 2024 or roughly 1 in 14 adults. Diabetic foot ulcers caused by poor glycemic control, neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, and inadequate foot care carry high 5‑year mortality, high costs, frequent lower extremity amputations, and reduced quality of life, though healing improves function. In a tertiary hospital in the Philippines, about 240 diabetic foot ulcer cases are admitted yearly, often with prolonged hospital stays. This highlights the need to systematically assess and improve diabetic foot care knowledge and practices in this population.

Methods:
This study is a descriptive cross-sectional survey among adult patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes consulting at the Internal Medicine and Endocrine outpatient clinics in a tertiary hospital in the Philippines, recruited consecutively over five months using purposive sampling. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire that includes sociodemographic characteristics, a 15-item diabetic foot care knowledge tool, and the 29-item Nottingham Assessment of Functional Foot Care which were both translated into Filipino by Magbanua et al (2017) to ensure comprehension. The final sample size of 341 was calculated with the Cochrane formula, assuming a 30.1% prevalence of good foot care knowledge and allowing for a 5% non-response rate. Statistical analysis will be performed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests (p < 0.05), under ethics approval from the Hospital Research Ethics Committee with strict observance of informed consent, confidentiality, and secure data handling.

Result:
Among the 325 diabetic patients, most were women, married, aged 40–60 years, with at least secondary education and a monthly income below 18,200 pesos. Patients demonstrated good overall knowledge of diabetic foot care (median 80%), though gaps persisted about using lukewarm water, checking water temperature, and applying talc or lotion between the toes. Median self‑care practice was lower at 62.1%, but most still reported satisfactory behaviors such as regular washing and drying of the feet. Knowledge and self‑care practice levels did not differ significantly by age, gender, civil status, education, or income (all p>0.05).

Conclusion:
Most diabetic respondents had good knowledge (72%) of diabetic foot care, and this did not vary across sociodemographic groups. However, only 15% demonstrated a good level of self-care foot practices. Healthcare practitioners should use outpatient visits to address these practice gaps and encourage proactive foot self-care. An easy-to-read educational material on recommended foot care and harmful behaviors to avoid can further help patients prevent complications.

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