To assess the early risk of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) among adult patients with diabetes and to identify clinical and behavioural correlates associated with DFU risk using Inlow’s 60-Second Screening Tool.

A cross-sectional analytical study.

Conducted at a tertiary-level referral hospital in Southwest Ethiopia.

The study included 164 adult patients with diabetes (aged ≥18 years) who attended routine follow-up visits at the diabetic clinic between February and March 2025. Patients who were critically ill, unable to communicate during data collection or pregnant were excluded. The median age of participants was 55 years (IQR 46–60), and 54.9% were male.

The primary outcome was early DFU risk, categorised as ‘at risk’ or ‘not at risk’ using Inlow’s 60-Second Screening Tool. Secondary outcomes included factors associated with DFU risk, such as glycaemic control, lipid profile and foot care practices.

Of the 164 participants, 32.3% (n=53) were found to be at risk for DFU. Participants who performed foot self-checks infrequently had more than threefold higher odds of DFU risk compared with those who practiced daily foot care (adjusted OR (AOR)=3.35; 95% CI 1.48 to 7.58; p=0.004). Poor glycaemic control (AOR=2.39; 95% CI 1.03 to 5.55; p=0.042) and dyslipidaemia (AOR=2.63; 95% CI 1.18 to 5.85; p=0.018) were also significantly associated with increased DFU risk.

Nearly one-third of patients with diabetes in this Ethiopian hospital setting were at early risk for DFU. Factors such as inadequate foot care, poor glycaemic control and dyslipidaemia were associated with increased risk. Incorporating rapid foot screening tools like Inlow’s 60-Second assessment into routine diabetes care, together with strengthened patient education and metabolic management, may help reduce the risk of DFU in resource-limited settings.

Current pharmacological treatment options for painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) often fail to provide adequate pain relief. However, in the recent SENZA-PDN study, high-frequency 10 kHz spinal cord stimulation (SCS) demonstrated significant long-term improvements in lower limb pain and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a PDN population. Furthermore, more than half of 10 kHz SCS recipients showed improved sensory function based on non-blinded clinical assessments in post hoc analysis. We report the design of the PDN-Sensory study, which aims to evaluate changes in pain and neurological function with 10 kHz SCS in the treatment of PDN. The study will include objective measures of neurological function, including the modified Toronto Clinical Neuropathy Score (mTCNS) and intraepidermal nerve fibre density (IENFD).

This multicentre, prospective, randomised controlled trial will compare conventional medical management (CMM) with 10 kHz SCS+CMM in individuals with diabetes and chronic, intractable lower limb pain due to PDN. Participants will be randomised 1:1 to CMM alone or 10 kHz SCS+CMM, with optional crossover at 6 months. The primary outcome is the proportion of participants at 6 months achieving ≥50% pain relief from baseline. The key secondary endpoint is the proportion of participants at 6 months with a reduction in mTCNS of ≥3 points from baseline (excluding changes in foot pain). Additional endpoints at 6 and 12 months include changes from baseline in mTCNS, IENFD, 7-day averaged pain score, pain-related interference, HRQoL, sleep, psychological outcomes, functional status and metabolic parameters.

The study protocol received central approval from the Western Institutional Review Board (IRB #20230954). Local IRB approval will be required before initiation of the study at each participating clinical site. The study complies with Good Clinical Practice guidelines (ISO 14155), the Declaration of Helsinki, and all applicable national, federal and local regulatory requirements. Dissemination plans include presentations at national and international conferences and publication in a peer-reviewed journal with open access.

NCT05777317.

Low back pain (LBP) is a common occupational health problem among academic staff, often associated with prolonged sitting, poor ergonomics and psychosocial stress. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of LBP and its associated factors among academic staff at a university in Ethiopia.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among academic staff at the University of Gondar (Gondar, Ethiopia) using simple random sampling from March to April 2021.

A total of 607 workers participated in the study.

A self-administered, structured Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used to assess the occurrences of LBP over the past 12 months. Data were analysed using Stata (V.14), and associations between variables were examined using binary logistic regression. Results are presented as adjusted ORs (AOR) with 95% CIs, with statistical significance set at p

The prevalence of LBP in the last 7 days was 44.8% (95% CI 40.8% to 48.86%), and over the past 12 months it was 55.68% (95% CI 51.63% to 59.68%). A significant difference in 7-day prevalence was observed between female and male participants (39.86% vs 15.81%, respectively; ² = 0.887; p=0.02). In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, being female was associated with higher odds of LBP (AOR=1.72; 95% CI 1.15 to 2.57; p=0.009), as was working more than 8 hours per day (AOR=1.45; 95% CI 1.02 to 2.10; p=0.038), physical inactivity (AOR=1.88; 95% CI 1.30 to 2.72; p=0.001) and prolonged standing during work hours (AOR=1.63; 95% CI 1.03 to 2.59; p=0.036).

The prevalence of LBP among academic staff is high. Targeted interventions are recommended to address LBP, focusing on gender-sensitive strategies to mitigate the additional burden on female staff, time management to reduce long working hours and workplace programmes to limit sedentary behaviour, encourage physical activity and improve ergonomic awareness.