skip to content
Dovepress - Open Access to Scientific and Medical Research
View our mobile site

8852

Foot care education and self management behaviors in diverse veterans with diabetes

Original Research

(3670) Views  (1122) Full article downloads

Authors: Jonathan M Olson, Molly T Hogan, Leonard M Pogach, Mangala Rajan, Gregory J Raugi, Gayle E Reiber

Published Date January 2009 Volume 2009:3 Pages 45 - 50
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S4349

Jonathan M Olson1, Molly T Hogan2, Leonard M Pogach3, Mangala Rajan3, Gregory J Raugi4, Gayle E Reiber5

1University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA; 2Department of Internal Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA; 3Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Healthcare System, Center for Healthcare Knowledge Management, East Orange, NJ, USA; 4Division of Dermatology, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Department of Veterans Affairs, Seattle, WA, USA; 5Research and Development, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Department of Veterans Affairs, Seattle, WA, USA

Abstract: The objective of this study was to examine differences in self-reported diabetes foot care education, self management behaviors, and barriers to good foot care among veterans with diabetes by race and ethnicity. Data was collected using the Veterans Health Administration Footcare Survey, a validated tool that assessed demographic, general health, diabetes and foot self-care information, barriers to foot self-care, receipt of professional foot care, and satisfaction with current care. We mailed surveys to a random sample of patients with diabetes from eight VA medical centers. Study participants were 81% White; 13% African American; 4% Asian, and 2% American Indian and Pacific Islanders. The majority of respondents felt that they did not know enough about foot self-care. There were large gaps between self-reported knowledge and actual foot care practices, even among those who reported “knowing enough” on a given topic. There were significant differences in self-reported foot care behaviors and education by race and ethnicity. These findings document the need for culturally-specific self-management education to address unique cultural preferences and barriers to care.

Keywords: diabetes mellitus, diabetic foot, patient self-management, ethnic groups, education








Readers of this article also read:

Role of aliskiren in cardio-renal protection and use in hypertensives with multiple risk factors
Prototype evaluation of a self-management Internet diary for patients with ulcerative colitis
Narcissistic rage: The Achilles’ heel of the patient with chronic physical illness
The pathophysiology of bronchiectasis
Retinal nerve fiber layer evaluation in multiple sclerosis with spectral domain optical coherence tomography
Zinc oxide nanoparticles as selective killers of proliferating cells
Differences in maintenance of mean blood glucose (BG) and their association with response to “recognizing hunger”
Erratum
Cumulative clinical experience from over a decade of use of levofloxacin in community-acquired pneumonia: critical appraisal and role in therapy
Comparison of demographic and clinical characteristics influencing health-related quality of life in patients with diabetic foot ulcers and those without foot ulcers