الخلاصة

Diabetes considered as one of the world’s biggest health problem, and it’s one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality, Also its complications lead to increase in disability, reduced life expectancy and many health care costs to the community. Diabetic patients must take care of the feet because there are many problems accompanied with diabetes. Patient with diabetes are vulnerable to neurovascular damage which can result in loss of protective sensation in the feet, poor circulation, and poor healing of foot sore. All of these situations participate to increase amputation rate. Objectives of the study to order to assess patients knowledge toward foot care for patients with diabetes mellitus and to find out the relationship between patients knowledge toward foot care and their demographic and clinical data. Descriptive Cross-Sectional Design is adopted in the current study to achieve the early stated objectives. The study started from October 1st, 2016 until May, 6th, 2017. A Non-Probability (Accidental Sample) of (80) Diabetes Mellitus patients,those who visit Al-Sadder Medical City / Al-Najaf Center for Diabetes and Endocrine, are included in the study sample. Data collected through using of a well-designed questionnaire consist of three parts: part I consists of demographic data contain (7) items, and part II consists of clinical data contain (5) items, and part III consists of (11) items about knowledge toward foot care. Data collected by direct interview method with diabetic patients’. The data are described statistically and analyzed through the use of the descriptive and inferential statistical analysis procedures. The findings of the present study indicate that the overall patients’ knowledge about foot care are poor . In addition, there is not found relationship between knowledge about foot care and other demographic data . also there is a non-significant relationship between the patients knowledge about foot care and clinical data except with their Foot problem at p-value 0.041. The study concludes there is diabetic patients’ knowledge about foot care are insufficient. The study recommends An education program should be designed and implemented to increase people's information about self-care regimen for diabetes mellitus in order to reduce or prevent complications. And create a unit to provide health care services like educating patients with diabetes in the diabetic center for providing instruction about self-care activities.