Diabetic Foot Among Elderly at Zagazig City: Risk Factors and Foot Care Practices

摘要

Background: Foot health problems are common in the elderly due to pathological changes in their feet. The aim of this study was to identify diabetic foot risk factors among the elderly at Zagazig City Subjects and methods; Analytic cross sectional study design was utilized. The study was conducted at Zagazig health insurance clinic for the elderly diabetic patients with purposive sample composed of (280) of the elderly diabetic patients. Tools, tool I, Interview questionnaire sheet composed of four parts (socio demographic characteristics, medical past &present history of diabetes, assessing patient foot care practice and assessment of risk factors of diabetic foot) and tool II, physical assessment of diabetic foot condition. Results it revealed that approximately one-half of the patients were 60-65 years old, only more than the third of studied patients had adequate foot care practice; the foot inspection revealed that the majority of them had abnormal foot and statistically significant relations between patients practice and their level of education, job type and income. The foot inspection revealed that the patients had no infection, no ulcer and no low blood flow had a higher percentage of normal examination. Conclusion The study found several factors associated with higher incidence of diabetic foot among the elderly diabetic patients including: low educational level, longer duration of diabetes, smoker, lack of foot care and poor footwear. Recommendations: Educate diabetic patients, about diabetic foot care practice through educational program to reduce the risk of complications.