Effect of the Educational Intervention on the Balance of Diabetic Foot Amputees: A Randomized Controlled Study

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of educational intervention on the balance of diabetic foot amputees. There were 2 groups and 60 patients (30 in each group) in the study. The patients were divided into 2 groups using block randomization to provide equal distribution of the minor and major amputations in groups. An education program was prepared in line with Bandura's Social Cognitive Learning theory. Education was administered to the intervention group before the amputation. Three days after the education, the patients’ balance was examined using Berg Balance Scale (BBS). There were not any statistically significant differences between the groups regarding the sociodemographic and disease-related characteristics except for marital status (P =.038). The mean BBS scores were 31.4 ± 17.6 for the intervention group and 20.3 ± 17.8 for the control group. We demonstrated that the intervention lowered fall risk after minor (P =.045) but not major amputation (P =.067). We recommend using education for the patients who will undergo amputation and further studies in larger and different populations.