Effect of Warm Foot Bath on Fatigue in Diabetic Elders

Introduction: Fatigue is one of the most common causes of disability in most elderly people affected with diabetes. Considering the increasing population of this group, the present study aimed to determine the effect of warm foot bath on the fatigue of the elderly people with diabetes.Materials & Methods: This randomized three-phase clinical trial study was carried out on 66 elderly patients with diabetes who had referred to the Diabetes Research Center in Yazd. Eligible cases were selected by simple sampling and randomly divided into two experimental and control groups. Samples from the experimental group performed a warm foot bathing for 20 minutes during two weeks. The Piper Fatigue Questionnaire was completed in three evaluations (at the beginning of the study, two weeks and one month later). Data were analyzed by SPSS software, using ANOVA for repeated data, independent t-test, Chi-Square and Fisher exact test.Results: According to the results, the mean ± standard deviation of fatigue score in the three phases of evaluation in the experimental group was 5.91 ± 0.81, 4.80 ± 1.19, 4.55 ± 1.57 and in the control group was 5.95±0.97, 6.06±1.13 and 5.79±1.33, respectively. However, the difference in the mean of fatigue scores in both groups after the intervention was significant (p <0.001).Conclusion: To considering the results study and the positive effects of warm foot bathing, this method, as a non-pharmacological and easy-to-use method, was recommended to improve fatigue condition in the elderly patients with diabetes.