Feet care: knowledge of people with diabetes mellitus

Abstract

The knowledge of foot care among people with diabetes mellitus (DM) contributes to delay the complications. Descriptive study, prospective and cross held in a university hospital in order to describe the socio-demographic characteristics, clinics and care with their feet made by people with diabetes mellitus (DM) hospitalized. Involving 58 people, interviewed with semi-structured instrument for the period from June to August of 2008. Data were entered and analyzed in EpiInfo3.2 TM. The categorical variables were subjected to the distribution of frequency and the chi-square test (p <0.05). Most respondents are male, at the age of 60 years old or more; have incomplete 1st degree, are married and retired. Half of the people have time of diagnosis less than 10 years; the majority has two co-morbidities, presence of complications, uses oral hypoglycemic; not hold monthly consultations and are registered with Hiperdia; not participate in educational groups and follow the treatment. Proper care of feet, except for the way they cut the nails, the type of footwear used and dry skin. Despite the complications in the feet in people with diabetes are preventable through actions of low complexity, it is still a challenge for health care.