Association between knowledge and adherence to foot self-care practices performed by diabetics
Ilaíse Brilhante Batista, Lívia Maia Pascoal, Paula Vitória Costa Gontijo, Paula dos Santos Brito, Maysa Alves de Sousa, Marcelino Santos Neto, Maksandra Silva Dutra
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: to verify the association between knowledge and adherence to foot self-care practices performed by patients with diabetes mellitus type 2. METHODS: cross-sectional, descriptive study carried out with 197 patients in basic health units located in the Northeast region of Brazil. For data collection, we used a semi-structured questionnaire that addressed issues inherent to knowledge and Diabetes Self-Care Activities. RESULTS: we observed that patients with moderate knowledge about self-care practices were more likely to perform foot self-examination, dry the interdigital spaces, moisturize their feet with creams and oils, observe the presence of mycosis and ingrown toenail when compared to patients with insufficient knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: the patients' level of knowledge was closely related to the self-care activities carried out, which reinforces the importance of nurses working on training those on essential health care.