Diabetic Foot Risk Factors and Effectiveness of Education in Saudi Arabia
Mohammad Saqib Siddiqui *
Department of General Surgery, King Fahad General Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulaziz Fehaid Alotaibi
College of Medicine, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.
Fahad Mohammed Saeed Alharthi
Department of Pediatrics, Materntiy and Children Hospital, Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Abdullatif Meshal Almalawi
Department of Internal Medicine, Ibn Sina Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed Zayed Asiri
Deparrment of Family Medicine, Minsitry of Health, Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia.
Ali Mustafa Alhabrti
College of Medicine, Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Jood Mohammed Faidhi
College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Hussain Faroog Jan
College of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulaziz Hussain Bin salman
College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed Ali Alqahtani
Department of Family Medicine, Cosmoline Medical Center, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Naseem Ahmed Matari
Al Shugairi Primary Healthcare Center, Ministry of Health, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease with a remarkable global burden on the affected patients and healthcare systems. Among the reported complications, the diabetic foot has been reported to be a common one, which might be disabling, resulting in related amputations. Furthermore, we will provide evidence regarding the effect of education on the awareness and knowledge of diabetic Saudis about diabetic foot risk factors and management practices. Different risk factors were reported for developing diabetic foot among patients with DM. These will be studied in the current literature review, focusing on evidence that was conducted in Saudi Arabia. Age, gender, type of diabetes, education, duration of the disease, peripheral neuropathy, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, peripheral vascular disease, ischemic heart disease, renal artery disease, having a previous history of diabetic foot, and hypertension were all reported to be significant factors that were associated with the risk of developing diabetic foot across the Kingdom. The level of knowledge was variable across the different investigations. However, there is a poor attitude in general about the appropriate care practices of diabetic foot. Although it has been demonstrated that educational campaigns are effective, further efforts are still needed to increase awareness and attitude levels among diabetic patients in Saudi Arabia.
Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, complications, epidemiology, risk factors, education, knowledge, awareness, diabetic foot