The primary objective of this study is to examine the feasibility of a Facebook group-based program to support adults with diabetes in their foot self-care and prevention of foot ulcers. The sub-objectives are: 1\. To determine the recruitment and retention rate of participants in the study. 2. To assess the acceptability of the Facebook group program among participants. 3. To determine the level and pattern of engagement by the participants within the Facebook group platform. 4. To determine the efficacy of the Facebook group program and how it works to improve diabetic foot care-related outcomes.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
32
Daily educational organic or inorganic posts (2 to 5) released in a timed sequence through a Hootsuite application plus peer interactions/support for three months.
School of Nursing, Queens University
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
The number of participants that accepted the intervention.
Number of participants who scored above 70 in the questionnaire on acceptance and satisfaction with the Facebook group-based program.
Time frame: Four weeks after the commencement of intervention.
The level of participants' engagement in the Facebook group.
The number of participants who viewed and reacted (comments and likes) to educational posts.
Time frame: Throughout the intervention period (3 months).
The efficacy of the study intervention on participants' foot self-care adherence.
Mean difference in participants' baseline and three-month post-intervention foot self-care adherence. Foot self-care adherence will be assessed using an adapted Foot Self-Care Behavior Tool, which consists of 17 items on preventive and potentially destructive foot self-care practices with a score range of 0 - 87.
Time frame: Two time points > Baseline and at the end of the intervention period (3 months).
The efficacy of the study intervention on participants' foot self-care confidence.
Mean difference in participants' baseline and three-month post-intervention foot self-care confidence. Foot self-care confidence will be measured using the Foot Care Confidence Scale (FCCS), which consists of 12 items on a five-point Likert scale with a score range of 12 - 60.
Time frame: Two time points > Baseline and at the end of the intervention period (3 months).
The efficacy of the study intervention on participants' perceived foot health status.
Mean difference in participants' baseline and three-month post-intervention perceived foot health status. Perceived foot health status will be assessed using the general foot health questions 9 and 12 of the Foot Health Status Questionnaire with a score range of 2 - 10.
Time frame: Two time points > Baseline and at the end of the intervention period (3 months).
The efficacy of the study intervention on participants' awareness of community resources.
Mean difference in participants' baseline and three-month post-intervention awareness of community resources. Participants' awareness of community resources will be assessed by asking them to rate the extent to which they can successfully locate available resources in their community for preventing DFU on a scale of 0 - 10.
Time frame: Two time points > Baseline and at the end of the intervention period (3 months).
The efficacy of the study intervention on participants' communication with health care professionals.
Mean difference in participants' baseline and three-month post-intervention communication with health care professionals. Participants' level of communication with health care professionals about their foot health will be assessed using an adapted Stanford University Chronic Disease Self-Management Program Communication with Physicians' Tool with a score range of 0 - 15.
Time frame: Two time points > Baseline and at the end of the intervention period (3 months).
The efficacy of the study intervention on participants' quality of life.
Mean difference in participants' baseline and three-month post-intervention quality of life score. The participants' quality of life will be assessed using the Medical Outcome Study Short Form questionnaire (SF-12).
Time frame: Two time points > Baseline and at the end of the intervention period (3 months).
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