Diabetic foot challenges in Yemen

Abstract EN

Objective : globally, diabetic foot lesion is a result of multiple risk factors as poor glucose control, peripheral vascular disease and neuropathy.

Some environmental factors like increasing urbanization, unhygienic conditions, poverty, barefoot gait, low income, and cultural practices have also been said to compound the situation.

The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge and practice of foot care among Yemeni diabetic patients, and to study the local risk factors for this case.

Methods : a cross-sectional study carried out in Diabetes Centre in Sana’a from October 2013 to March 2014 including 310 diabetic foot patients with active ulceration.

Results : of 310 patients, 174 (56.1%) were completely illiterate, 96 (31%) had formal or primary education while just 18 (5.8%) had a secondary or tertiary education.

Regarding the socioeconomic status, 82 (26.5%) participants were under the line of poverty, 204 (65.8%) have poor environmental condition, and most of them have inadequate access to the public services, 24 (7.7%) whom their condition was good and acceptable.

It was found that 208 (67.1%) were Qat chewers.

Regarding the foot care practice, the majority of the patients 281 (90.6%) and 284 (91.6%) were unaware of the importance of the inspection and foot examination respectively.

On the other hand, 296 (95.5%) of the participants their feet were not examined in the last year.

Regarding the scoring of education knowledge and diabetic foot care, (71.8%) of participants applied bad practice, and about (77.3%) of the patients have poor knowledge about diabetic foot risk factors.

Conclusions : there is a pressing need to endorse a proper program for patients and their families education to improve their knowledge about diabetic foot risk factors, diabetic foot prevention and proper foot care practice, and to train health care professionals with the appropriate podiatry knowledge and skills to identify the risk foot and to utilize available local resources efficiently.