Effectiveness of Nurse-Led Education on Foot Self-care Behavior among Diabetic Neuropathy Patients: Pilot Study

Aim: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of nurse-led education on foot self-care behavior among diabetic neuropathy patients. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study employing a pretest, post-test design with a control group. Forty patients with mild to moderate neuropathy were selected according to the Toronto Clinical Neuropathy Score and allocated to the study and control groups using purposive sampling technique. The study group received six 40-minute sessions of laptop-assisted education, aided by a pamphlet on neuropathy and foot care, followed by a demonstration of foot care over 3 months, while the control group received no intervention. Foot self-care behavior was assessed through the Nottingham Functional Foot Care questionnaire. Results: The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the foot self-care behavior in the study group before, 4 weeks after, and 12 weeks after the intervention was 40.05 ± 3.30, 59.50 ± 5.10, and 64.50 ± 6.70, respectively. In the control group, the mean ± SD were 41.05 ± 8.70, 42.90 ± 8.65, and 43.85 ± 8.19, respectively. The independent t -test demonstrated highly significant differences between the groups at post-test 1 ( t = 7.391) and post-test 2 ( t = 8.719) scores, indicating that the nurse-led education was effective in improving foot self-care behavior at the P < 0.0001 level. Significant associations were found between the foot self-care behavior with family monthly income, as well as a history of alcohol consumption and smoking, at P ≤ 0.05. Conclusion: The results showed that the nurse-led education enhanced the foot self-care behavior of patients with diabetic neuropathy.