Background: Diabetic foot (DF) complications are one of the major global public health problems of concern. Although, amputation rates vary around the world are always observed to be increased in people with diabetes compared to those without diabetes. The global health-care systems, both public and private, have been unsuccessful in managing the overwhelming problems of patients suffering from DF complications. Correct practices of foot health care are essential for reducing the incidence of foot ulcers and complication. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of DF care to determine the need to educate the community about DF care. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Taif university students, Saudi Arabia using a multi-point questionnaire about DF care knowledge. Results: A total of 473 Taif university students had participated in this study; 60 were from medical college. Among the total, 194 had poor knowledge. We determined the influence of demographic factors on the knowledge score; it was significant with the students who had a diabetic parent/s (mean =9.78 ± 3.89, p-value =0.000), female gender and among medical college students (mean = 9.45 ± 3.70, 10.62 ± 4.15, p-value =0.002). Conclusion: The result of this study showed the gap in knowledge of DF care, more importantly among medical students who would be the providers of knowledge in the near future. We recommend implementing educational programs and community awareness campaigns on DF care inside and outside the university campus.
Key words: Knowledge, diabetic foot care, university students, ulcer, amputation.
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