Altered touch perception and associated risk factors in individuals with diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prevalence of altered touch perception in the feet of individuals with diabetes mellitus and the associated risk factors. METHOD Cross-sectional study with 224 individuals with diabetes mellitus conducted in an endocrinology clinic at a public hospital in Campina Grande, Paraiba. The evaluation used touch sensitivity and perception, and a descriptive and multivariate analysis with Poisson regression was performed. RESULTS We found the prevalence of altered touch perception to be 53.1%. The risk factors that had a significant and joint impact on its occurrence were: female gender; previous ulcer; diabetes mellitus type 2; burning sensation, cracks, fissures, calluses, and Charcot foot. CONCLUSIONS This study found a high prevalence of altered perception of touch, and this should support the planning of actions aimed at preventing the problem. The study showed the relevance of the phenomenon as a nursing diagnosis that could be included in NANDA-International.