Diabetic Foot Care: Assessing the Knowledge and Practices of Diabetic Patients at Aldaraga Centre, Gezira State, Sudan, 2021

Introduction: Improving diabetic patients' foot care behaviours is crucial in the incidence reduction of diabetic foot ulceration-associated complications. Objective: This study assessed the knowledge and practice of diabetic patients towards diabetic foot care and their general understanding of diabetes causes, complications, and treatment. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Aldaraga Clinic Centre, Sudan, with a sample size of 100 diabetic patients. A questionnaire and checklist were used to collect data for this study. The data was analyzed through SPSS Version 16 software. Results: The majority of respondents were females (62%), above 40 years old (66%), married, with a low educational level, and moderate-income (76%). The study revealed that most respondents did not attend any educational program about diabetes, indicating poor or no knowledge about diabetes mellitus. However, respondents had good knowledge of most signs and symptoms of diabetes, with the highest percentage (88%) for extreme thirst. Concerning the knowledge of respondents about complications of diabetes, it was generally poor, except for retinal diseases (70%). Participants' knowledge of signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia was found to be poor at 25%. The study showed that most respondents did not know what diabetes gangrene is. Foot infections were the most dominant cause of hospitalization among diabetic patients, often leading to amputations. Conclusion: Enhancing foot care behaviours in diabetic patients is crucial to reduce diabetic foot ulceration risks. Patient-friendly educational interventions and regular physician reinforcement are urgently needed, including awareness programs, specialized diabetes centres, and health education through mass media to improve foot care practices and prevent complications like amputations. Keywords: diabetic foot care, diabetic knowledge, diabetic patients