Objective:

To evaluate the changes of an educational intervention in the prevention of diabetic foot regarding the level of self-care of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Materials and Method:

Quantitative study, before-and-after type, with a sample of 79 participants. Pretest measurement included participants' sociodemographic and clinical characterization, as well as their classification in risk category and level of self-care. After implementing the educational intervention, we conducted a post-test measurement of the level of self-care.

Results:

Participants' median age was 62 years and 62% (n = 49) corresponded to female individuals. The sample reported antecedents such as tingling (n = 58; 73.4%), claudication (n = 14; 17.7%), lack of previous education (n = 25; 31.6%), and use of inappropriate footwear/stockings (n = 21; 26.6%). Half of the participants were located in high-risk categories for diabetic foot. Significant changes were identified in the level of self-care in the prevention of diabetic foot after implementing the educational intervention (p = 0.0000).

Conclusions:

The proposed educational intervention showed improvements in the level of self-care in the prevention of diabetic foot. This intervention addressed emotional and social dimensions, diabetes self-management, and foot care. Its application in other similar populations is recommended.

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