Foot care in depressed and non-depressed diabetic patients Print

Depression is common among type II diabetic patients that reduces the desire, motivation, and ability to perform self-care behaviors, including the care of the feet. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between depressions and self-care performance in patients with type II diabetes. In this descriptive-analytic study, 200 patients with type 2 diabetes visiting Saqqez diabetes unit in the fall of 2012 were evaluated. Harvard depression screening (HANDS) and foot-care questionnaires were used to collect data. Content validity was used to assess the validity of both questionnaires. In addition, the reliabilities of the depression and foot-care questionnaires were found 0.78 and 0.72 respectively by calculating Cronbach's Alpha coefficient. The data were analyzed by SPSS (version 16) using descriptive statistical tests, Chi-Square, and independent t-test. P≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. From among the diabetic patients, 60 (30%) were depressed, and 90 (45%) had good foot care. Daily washing of the feet (p<0.0001), examining the feet (p<0.001), examining shoe insides (p=0.04), monitoring blood glucose (p=0.04), and wearing shoes in the bathroom (p=0.03) were significantly more in non-depressed diabetic patients than in the depressed ones. Depressed diabetic patients have a poor foot-care performance. Therefore, it is necessary to give them foot-care education to improve their self-care behaviors.