Abstract:
This quasi-experimental study aimed to explore the effect of self-efficacy and social support enhancing program on foot care behavior among older persons with diabetes mellitus. Fitty samples were 60 year old persons and above with diabetes mellitus receiving treatment in diabetes mellitus clinic at Nanoi Hospital, Nan Province. Matched pair of gender, age, and duration of illness were conducted. Twenty-five people were classified to experiment group and 25 to control group. The control group received conventional nursing care while the experiment participated self-efficacy and social support program. Content validity of instruments were approved by five experts. Reliability of the foot care behavior was tested with Cronbachs alpha coefficient r = 0.85 Data were collected via the personal questionnaire and foot care behavior questionnaire. Data were analyzed using mean, percentage, standard deviation, and t-test. The results revealed that mean score of foot care behavior from experimental group after receiving of self-efficacy and social support program was significantly higher than before receiving the program (p<.01). The mean score of foot care behavior among experimental group after receiving self-efficacy and social support program was significantly higher than the control group (p<.01). The study findings indicate that of self-efficacy and social support program could increase foot care behavior among older persons with diabetes mellitus. This program is useful to prevent diabetic foot ulcer in older persons with diabetes mellitus.