title: The investigation of demographic characteristics and the health-related quality of life in patients with diabetic foot ulcers at first presentation.
abstract: To investigate the characteristics of diabetic patients with foot ulcers, their health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and the link between them. The study population included 131 consecutive patients presenting in a diabetic foot clinic with a new foot ulcer between December 1, 2011, and May 1, 2012. The authors collected sociodemographic data, foot and ulcer characteristics using the Wagner Grade, and HRQoL (using the SF-36 Scale) information; 54.2% of the patients were in Wagner 2 or Wagner 3 categories. In all the 8 SF-36 subscales and in the SF-36 summary scales, the patients with diabetic foot ulcer had significantly poorer HRQoL than the general population in China (P < .01). Their Wagner Grade had negative correlation with all the SF-36 subscales and the summary scales (P < .05). In conclusion, new diabetic foot ulcers were already in poor condition when patients first visited the diabetic foot clinic. Concomitantly, patients had worse HRQoL compared with the general population. More effective interventions are needed to improve their self-care level and HRQoL.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Nursing, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Huang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Xie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ting
authors.forename: Wu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Minjie
authors.forename: Cao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yemin
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiqiao
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yuzhi
authors.forename: Tian
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ming
authors.forename: Wu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weida
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Peifen
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shuliang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002681:China; D003710:Demography; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods