This study aimed to explore the factors influencing fear of progression (FoP) and the lived experiences of patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), and to provide evidence to inform home-based foot care, psychological support, and continuing-care interventions. A phenomenological qualitative design, guided by the Common-Sense Model of Self-Regulation (CSM), was used. Fourteen patients with DFUs attending the wound clinic of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University between March and June 2026 were recruited using purposive and maximum-variation sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Audio recordings were transcribed within 24 h and analysed using Colaizzi's seven-step method. Three themes and eight subthemes were identified: stressors (fear of amputation and complications, substantial financial burden, and severe restrictions in daily life); illness beliefs (resigned acceptance with passive coping and accepting the illness with active coping); and needs (disease-related knowledge and psychological counselling, guidance for foot self-care, and social support). Fear was closely related to recurrent wounds, pain, functional limitation, financial strain, and negative beliefs about illness controllability. Professional guidance, family support, and compassionate care enhanced confidence in treatment. FoP in patients with DFUs is shaped by disease-related stressors, illness beliefs, and available support resources. In addition to wound management, healthcare professionals should dynamically assess psychological distress and risk of self-harm, provide individualised education, pain management, psychological support, and continuing care, and strengthen family and social support to improve patients' sense of control and self-care capacity.

Qiao Yi, Wen Xiulin, Tang Kaibo. Factors Influencing Fear of Progression in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Qualitative Study. Academic Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences (2026), Vol. 7, Issue 4: 44-50. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJMHS.2026.070406.

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