Abstract
Background: Diabetic foot complications remain a major problem among patients with diabetes and the health care system. Identification of the risk factors related to the development of diabetic foot is essential in order to develop strategies for avoiding the expected deterioration in the quality of life following amputation.
Objectives: To determine prevalence and associated risk factors of diabetic foot among type 2 diabetic patient attending diabetic centers in Saudi Arabia 2018.
Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study including a representative sample of type 2 diabetic patients who attending the diabetic centers in Saudi Arabia 2018. Data were collected through two tools; checklist: including information that was accessed through the patient's medical file registry and patient themselves. It included: treatment of diabetes, last reading of HbA1c and fasting blood glucose, lipid profile, peripheral neuropathy, peripheral vascular diseases, evidence of chronic renal disease, retinopathy, ischaemic heart disease, stroke and hypertension.
Results: The study included 300 type 2 diabetic patients. Their age ranged between 20 and 85 years with a mean +/- SD of 51.6 +/- 11.3 years. Males represent 70.3% of the sample. The prevalence of diabetic foot among them was 33%. Compared to Saudi diabetic patients, non-Saudis were less likely to develop DF (OR=0.24; 95% CI: 0.07-0.76, p=0.015). As opposed to illiterate patients, those with secondary school and university educational level were at lower significant risk for developing DF (OR=0.10; 95% CI: 0.03-0.40, p=0.001 and OR=0.11; 95% CI: 0.03-0.45, p=0.002 respectively). Patients who had family history of diabetic foot were at almost four folded risk for developing DF as compared to those without such history (OR=3.70; 95% CI: 1.13-12.12, p=0.031). Similarly, patients who had history of peripheral neuropathy were at almost four-folded risk for developing DF as compared to those without such history (OR=3.90; 95% CI: 1.77-8.57, p=0.001).
Conclusions: Diabetic foot is a common health problem among patients with type 2 diabetes attended the diabetic centers in Saudi Arabia, which can lead to high cost for the health care system.