Association between Foot Care Knowledge and Practices among African Americans with Type 2 Diabetes: An Exploratory Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES: African Americans bear a disproportionate burden of lower extremity complications associated with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. We examined the relationship that self-reported foot care knowledge, foot self-care behaviors, and foot self-care management barriers had on a participants' intention to maintain long term foot self-care.

METHODS: African Americans were recruited using a convenience and snowball sampling plan, as well as telephone, email and flyers detailing the study. The data from the previously modified foot care knowledge questionnaire was analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive analysis and ANOVAs analyzed basic foot care knowledge, specialized foot care knowledge, and foot self-care.

RESULTS: The analysis indicated that a main effect of insurance status, F(2,87) = 4.082, p = .020, was detected, and was the only significant interaction found.

CONCLUSION: When comparing the basic and extended foot care education means scores, participants had less extended foot care knowledge than basic foot care knowledge. This study also showed that insurance status had considerable influence on extended foot care knowledge. In an African American population with T2DM, regardless of education and gender, there are considerable differences between how foot care knowledge is translated into actual foot self-care behaviors.