Knowledge of diabetic foot care management among medical students at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate medical students’ knowledge of diabetic foot care management and its related factors. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study of 303 students studying at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia conducted from June to July 2019. Data were collected using a two-part questionnaire. The first one captured student information; the second assessed student knowledge. It consists of 68 true and false questions divided into 4 subscales (risk factors, foot examination, foot complications and footwear selection). The higher the total score is, the higher the students’ knowledge. RESULTS: The total average knowledge score was 55.5±5.5 out of 68. While the mean score was 14.11/16 for risk factors, 9.24/10 for foot examination, 24.21/32 for foot complications, and 7.88/10 for footwear selection subscales. Only 56.4% of students educated diabetic patients about diabetic foot risks;concurrently, only 63% performed foot examinations in diabetes patients. Students who educated diabetic patients, preformed foot exam, or attended extra elective clinical rotation in a diabetic foot team, had a significantly higher knowledge level. CONCLUSION: Students were found to have high level of knowledge regarding diabetic foot management. Students who educated patients about diabetic foot risk, performed foot examination on patients and students who took elective rotations in a diabetic foot care team had a higher knowledge level.