Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Purpose

The purposes of this study were to assess the level of foot self-care performed in a rural, multiethnic population of older adults and to identify factors associated with foot self-care.

Methods

The Evaluating Long-term Diabetes Self-management Among Elder Rural Adults study included a random sample of 701 African American, Native American, and white adults from 2 rural North Carolina counties. Participants completed in-home interviews, 5 foot selfcare practices from the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA), functional status measures, and measures of education and support for foot care.

Results

Foot care practices/behaviors reported at least 6 days/week ranged from 35.6% for inspecting shoes to 79.2% for not soaking feet. Four independent predictors of the SDSCA summary foot care index score were observed: having been shown how to care for feet (P< .0001), female gender (P= .03), having had a doctor check nerves in feet in past year (P= .02), and not receiving support caring for feet (P = .0425).

Conclusions

These findings indicate that educating patients about foot self-care may encourage routine foot care but that those dependent on either formal or informal support to perform foot care do so less frequently than those who perform it independently.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

. Diabetes: disabling, deadly and on the rise, 2004. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/aag/pdf/aag_ddt2004.pdf. Accessed March 9, 2004.

Donohoe ME, Fletton JA

Hook A

, et al. Improving foot care for people with diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled trial of an integrated care approach. Diabet Med. 2000;17:581-587.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

. Hospital discharge rates for nontraumatic lower extremity amputations by diabetes status: United States, 1997. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2001;50:954-958.

Apelqvist J

Bakker K

van Houtum WH

Nabuurs-Franssen MH

Schaper NC

. International consensus and practical guidelines on the management and the prevention of the diabetic foot. International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2000;16:S84-S92.

Karter AJ

Ferrara A

Liu JY

Moffett HH

Ackerson LM

Selby JV

. Ethnic disparities in diabetic complications in an insured population. JAMA. 2002;287:2519-2527.

US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

. (no date). Healthy People 2010. Available at: http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/. Accessed March 9, 2004.

Toobert DJ

Hampson SE

Glasgow RE

. The summary of diabetes self-care activities measure: results from 7 studies and a revised scale. Diabetes Care. 2000;23:943-950.

Ware JE

Kosinski M

Keller SD

. How to Score the SF-12 Physical and Mental Health Summary Scales. 2nd ed. Boston, Mass: The Health Institute, New England Medical Center; 1994.

Ware JE

Kosinski M

Keller SD

. A 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12): construction of scales and preliminary tests of reliability and validity. Med Care. 1996;34:220-233.

10.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

. Preventive care practices for persons with diabetes. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/preventive/NewFtChk2.htm.

11.

Williams GC

Deci EL

. Internalization of biopsychosocial values by medical students: a test of self-determination theory. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1996;70:767-779.

12.

De Beards G

Pellegrino F

Françoise M

, et al. Physical attitudes toward foot care education and foot examination and their correlation with patient practice. Diabetes Care. 2004;27:286-287.

13.

Ronnemaa T

Hamalainen H

Toikka T

Liukkonen I

. Evaluation of the impact of podiatrist care in the primary prevention of foot problems in diabetic subjects. Diabetes Care. 1997;20:1833-1837.

14.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

. History of foot ulcer among persons with diabetes—United States, 2000-2002. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2003;52:1098-1101.

15.

Reiber G

Pecoraro RE

Koepsell T

. Risk factors for amputation in patients with diabetes mellitus: a case-controlled study. Ann Intern Med. 1992;117:97-105.

16.

Nicolucci AM

Cavaliere DM

Scorpiglione NM

, et al. A comprehensive assessment of avoidability of long-term complications of diabetes: a case-control study. Diabetes Care. 1996;19:927-933.

17.

Thomson FJ

Masson EA

. Can elderly diabetic patients cooperate with routine foot care? Age Ageing. 1992;21:333-337.

Diabetes Foot Self-care Practices in a Rural,Triethnic Population

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References