Effect of Diabetic Foot Ulcer Prevention Program Based on Newman’s System Model on Foot Care Behavior in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Diabetic foot ulcers are a serious complication that increases the risk of infection, disability, or loss of the organ. It greatly affects the quality of life, therefore, it should be prevented. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a diabetic foot ulcer prevention program based on Newman’s system model on foot care behavior in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This quasi-experimental study employed a one-group, pretest-posttest design. The sample consisted of 30 T2DM patients who were registered at the diabetes clinic at the outpatient department of Kaeng Khoi Hospital in Saraburi Province. The sample received the diabetic foot ulcer prevention program based on Newman’s system model for 3 months. Purposive sampling was used to recruit the participants into the study. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of 3 parts, including a demographic data sheet, monofilament foot health examination record form, and foot care behavior questionnaire. The content validity of the questionnaire was evaluated by experts, resulting in a CVI = 1.0. The reliability of the second questionnaire was examined using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, resulting in a 0.81. Descriptive statistics and paired sample t-tests were used for the data analysis.

Results: Foot care behavior in patients with T2DM significantly improved after receiving the diabetic foot ulcer prevention program based on Newman’s Systems Model at the level of .05 (t = 10.493, p < .001). In conclusion, the program was effective in promoting foot care behaviors to prevent foot ulcers, thus leading to beneficial outcomes by encouraging proper self-care.