Self-Care in Type 2 Diabetes Patients with Urgency Lower Limb Amputation: The Influence of Sex, Marital Status and Previous Amputations

Figures & data

Table 1 Characteristics of Type 2 Diabetes Patients According to Sex, Marital Status, and Previous Amputation

Variables	Sex		Marital Status		Previous Amputation
	Men (n=65)	Women (n=41)	With Partner (n=56)	Without Partner (n=50)	Yes (n=41)	No (n=65)
Sex
Men	65	0	41	24	26	39
Women	0	41	15	26	15	26
Age
	59.6 ± 10.7	66.8 ± 15.2	60.3 ± 11.6	61.3 ± 13.7	66.2 ± 12.6	57.5 ± 12.8
Ethnicity/color
White	55	38	48	45	37	56
Black	10	3	8	5	4	9
Work occupation
Ex-service	26	25	27	24	23	28
Active worker	18	7	15	10	6	19
Out-of-work	13	3	5	11	8	8
Sick leave by doctor	8	2	15	4	4	6
Home Worker	0	4	3	1	0	4
SAH
Yes	42	35	39	38	33	44
No	23	6	17	12	8	21
Smoking
Yes	5	1	2	4	3	3
No	60	40	54	46	38	62
Years of diagnosis
<1 year	2	3	1	4	0	5
1 to 5 years	7	3	7	4	4	7
6 to 10 years	16	14	16	15	14	17
> 10 years	40	21	32	27	23	36
Amputation level
Pododactyls	30	22	28	24	17	35
Transmetatarsal	25	7	19	13	11	21
Transtibial	7	5	6	6	7	5
Transfemoral	3	7	3	7	6	4

Notes: Data presented in absolute values. Only age is presented as mean and standard deviation.

Abbreviation: SAH, systolic arterial hypertension.

Table 2 Outcomes in All Groups: Sex, Marital Status, and Previous Amputation – and Self-Care Verified by the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA)

Variables	Sex			Marital Status		Previous Amputation
	Male (n=65)		Female (n=41)	With Partner (n=56)	Without Partner (n=50)	Yes (n=41)	No (n=65)
1. General Food
1.1 Followed a healthy diet	4.0 (3–7)		5.0 (3–7)	5.0 (3–7)	4.0 (2–7)	4.0 (3–7)	4.0 (3–7)
1.2 Followed food guidance given by a professional	0.0 (0–0)		0.0 (0–0)	0.0 (0–0)	0.0 (0–0)	0.0 (0–0)	0.0 (0–0)
2. Specific Food
2.1 Eating five or more servings of fruits and/or vegetables	4.0 (3–7) *		7.0 (3–7)	5.5 (3–7)	4.0 (3–7)	5.0 (3–7)	5.0 (3–7)
2.2 Eating high fat foods, meat and/or whole milk products	3.0 (0–6)		2.0 (0–7)	2.0 (2–4)	3.5 (0–7) *	3.0 (0–7)	2.0 (0–6)
2.3 Eating sweets	0.0 (0–3)		0.0 (0–2)	0.0 (0–2)	0.0 (0–3)	0.0 (0–2)	0.0 (0–3)
3. Physical activity
3.1 Performed physical activities for at least 30 minutes	0.0 (0–0)		0.0 (0–0)	0.0 (0–0)	0.0 (0–0)	0.0 (0–0)	0.0 0–0)
3.2 Performed specific physical exercise (swimming, walking)	0.0 (0–0)		0.0 (0–0)	0.0 (0–0)	0.0 (0–0)	0.0 (0–0)	0.0 (0–0)
4. Blood glycemia monitoring
4.1 Evaluated glycemia frequently		5.0 (0–7)	7.0 (0–7)	7.0 (0–7)	6.0 (0–7)	5.0 (0–7)	7.0 (0–7)
4.2 Evaluated glycemia the recommended number of times		0.0 (0–7)	7.0 (0–7)	1.5 (0–7)	3.5 (0–7)	0.0 (0–7)	7.0 (0–7)
5. Foot care
5.1 Examine the feet	3.0 (0–7)		4.0 (0–7)	2.0 (0–7)	4.5 (0–7)	1.0 (0–7)	5.0 (0–7)
5.2 Examine inside the shoes before putting them on	5.0 (0–7)		0.0 (0–7)	1.0 (0–7)	1.0 (0–7)	7.0 (0–7)	0.0 (0–7)
5.3 Dry the spaces between the toes, after washing them	7.0 (0–7)		5.0 (0–7) *	7.0 (0–7)	7.0 (0–7)	7.0 (0–7)	7.0 (0–7)
6. Medication
6.1 Took insulin injections and diabetes pills as recommended	7.0 (7–7)		6.1 (7–7)	7.0 (7–7)	7.0 (7–7)	7.0 (5–7)	7.0 (7–7)
6.2 Took insulin injections as recommended	7.0 (7–7)		7.0 (7–7)	7.0 (7–7)	7.0 (7–7)	7.0 (7–7)	7.0 (7–7)
6.3 Took the indicated number of diabetes pills	7.0 (7–7)		7.0 (7–7)	7.0 (7–7)	7.0 (7–7)	7.0 (7–7)	7.0 (7–7)

Notes: Mann–Whitney tests considering sex (men and women), marital status (with partner or without partner), and previous amputation (yes or no). Data as medians (percentiles 25–75). *Statistically significant difference (p≤ 0.05).

Table 3 Logistic Regression Concerning the Self-Care Variables Verified by the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA)

Dichotomous Variable	Sex				Age				Partner
	β	SE	Wald	P	β	SE	Wald	P	β	SE	Wald	P
1.1 Followed a healthy diet	0.276	0.424	0.422	0.516	0.001	0.016	0.003	0.958	−0.112	0.401	0.079	0.779
1.2 Followed food guidance given by a professional	–0.280	0.761	0.135	0.713	–0.003	0.029	0.009	0.926	–0.626	0.743	0.709	0.400
2.1 Eating five or more servings of fruits and/or vegetables	0.919	0.456	4.052	0.044	0.007	0.016	0.182	0.669	-0.796	0.420	3.596	0.058
2.2 Eating high fat foods, meat and/or whole milk products	–0.300	0.440	0.464	0.496	0.003	0.016	0.025	0.875	0.908	0.414	4.813	0.028*
2.3 Eating sweets	–0.578	0.663	0.759	0.384	–0.007	0.023	0.099	0.753	1.207	0.636	3.602	0.058*
3.1 Performed physical activities for at least 30 minutes	–0.463	0.734	0.398	0.528	0.019	0.026	0.517	0.472	–0.591	0.677	0.762	0.383
3.2 Performed specific physical exercise (swimming, walking)	0.574	0.855	0.451	0.502	0.051	0.034	2.246	0.134	–0.421	0.825	0.260	0.610
4.1 Evaluate glycemia frequently	0.122	0.421	0.084	0.772	–0.016	0.016	1.013	0.314	0.096	0.401	0.057	0.811
4.2 Evaluate glycemia frequently according to recommendations	0.276	0.419	0.435	0.509	–0.030	0.016	3.257	0.071	0.182	0.403	0.205	0.651
5.1 Examine the feet	0.052	0.413	0.016	0.899	–0.004	0.016	0.075	0.784	0.167	0.393	0.181	0.670
5.2 Examine inside the shoes before putting them on	–0.500	0.420	1.416	0.234	–0.003	0.016	0.032	0.859	–0.169	0.397	0.180	0.671
5.3 Dry the spaces between the toes, after washing them	-0.709	0.432	2.692	0.101	–0.004	0.017	0.071	0.789	–0.430	0.414	1.080	0.299
6.1 Took insulin injections and diabetes pills as recommended	–0.252	0.435	0.335	0.563	–0.024	0.017	2.081	0.149	–0.568	0.415	1.872	0.171
6.2 Took insulin injections as recommended	0.571	0.522	1.199	0.274	0.003	0.019	0.026	0.871	1.472	0.532	7.647	0.006*
6.3 Took the indicated number of diabetes pills	0.237	0.437	0.294	0.588	0.018	0.017	1.112	0.292	–0.478	0.421	1.291	0.256
7.1 Smoked in the last week	1.273	1.158	1.210	0.271	0.007	0.032	0.047	0.828	–1.847	1.126	2.687	0.101
7.2 Smoked more than 10 cigarettes in the last week	1.273	1.158	1.210	0.271	0.007	0.032	0.047	0.828	–1.847	1.126	2.687	0.101

Notes: ANOVA test. *Statistically significant difference (p≤ 0.0.05).