Self-Efficacy in Foot-Care and Effect of Training: A Single-Blinded Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common metabolic and non-communicable disorders worldwide and the mortality rates caused by the complications associated with the disease, such as diabetic foot ulcer, is increasing dramatically. Patient education is considered as an essential part of controlling DM. Therefore, we aimed to compare the effects of individual and group training methods on self-efficacy in foot care among the patients with DM. METHODS: In this single-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial, we enrolled 150 patients with type 1 and 2 DM. The final participants were randomly assigned into two intervention groups (collective and individual training group) and a control group. Data were collected using foot-care self-efficacy questionnaire (Corrbet, 2003). A research assistant collected the data by interviewing the participants using the questionnaire once before and once one month after the intervention. The participants of the intervention groups attended a training program consisting of three sessions per week for one week. Statistical descriptive tests such as mean and standard deviation (SD) percentage were used to describe the features of the data inferential statistics test such as Chi-square, independent t-test and repeated measures analysis of variance and analysis co-variance (ANOVA, ANCOVA) tests were also used as appropriate. The significance level was set at <0.05. RESULTS: The results indicated that there was no significant difference between the three groups regarding the mean of self-efficacy scores before foot-care training intervention (P=0.39). But, comparison of the scores before and after the intervention showed that both group and individual training interventions increased the patients’ self-efficacy (P≤0/05). CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that both group and individual training approaches could increase foot care self-efficacy in the patients with DM. Trial Registration Number: IRCT201203086918N6.