Abstract:
Regular foot care behaviors can reduce the risk of deveioping foot ulcer in patients with diabetes. Unfortunately, few diabetic patients adhere to foot care behaviors. The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing foot care behaviors in persons with type ll diabetes who had not developed foot ulcer. THe 82 samples from out-patient of diabetes clinic in Banglamung Hospital, chonburi Province, Thailand, completed the study. The research instruments were questionnaires of foot care behaviors related to prevention of diabetes foot ulcer (keeping foot clean and soft, checking for foot abnormality, preventing foot trauma, and foot exercise), perceived self efficacy for foot care, social support, and prior foot care experiences. In addition, the instrument for assessing sensation in the foot, inspection of foot structure abnormalities, and foot circulation were methods measured foot condition. The results showed that the majority of the samples performed their foot care behaviors 3-4 days per week (X = 3.4 , SD=0.7) which was a frequency known to be moderate. The multiple regression analysis indicated that 71 percent of variance in foot care behaviors was significantly predicted by prior foor care experiences, perceived self-efficacy for foot care behaviors, social support, and foot care experiences, perceived self-efficacy for foot care behaviors, social support, and foot care experiences, perceived self-efficacy for foot care behaviors, social support, and foot care conditions (R2 = .71; F (4, 77) = 46.81, p<.001), followed by perceived self-efficay for foot care behaviors, social support, and foot care conditions (B = .32 p < .001; B = .22, p < .01; B = .17 , p < .01, respectively). Therefore, interventions to promote foot care behaviors can be most beneficial if foot care experience, self efficacy, and social support of diabetic are encouraged.