Keywords

diabetic foot, diabetes mellitus, health education, health promotion, knowledge, podiatry, self-care

Authors

1. Fernandez-Leon, Paula MS
2. Palomo-Toucedo, Inmaculada C. PhD
3. Carvajal-Moreno, Lidia MS
4. Dominguez-Maldonado, Gabriel PhD
5. Sanchez-Sanchez, Sandra BS
6. Reina-Bueno, Maria PhD

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine if health education has an influence on podiatric knowledge, self-care, and conditions in adults with diabetes mellitus.

DATA SOURCES: The authors conducted a literature search for Spanish-, English-, and Portuguese-language publications using PubMed, Scopus, Dialnet, and CUIDEN.

STUDY SELECTION: Selected keywords related to diabetes, health education, (diabetic) foot, and self-care were searched, and the titles, abstracts, and relevant full-text articles were screened. Thirteen studies were selected with a total of 1,296 participants. Four were randomized controlled trials, and nine were quasi-experimental studies.

DATA EXTRACTION: Data pertaining to preventive intervention and study outcomes were extracted.

DATA SYNTHESIS: The preventive interventions used varied from traditional educational workshops and one-on-one patient education to new technological strategies. Three different outcomes were evaluated in each study: podiatric knowledge (n = 4), foot self-care (n = 13), and foot problems (n = 2).

CONCLUSIONS: Health education interventions increase podiatric self-care in adults with diabetes mellitus. These interventions appear to contribute positively to foot health and podiatric knowledge.