Diabetes-Related Foot Disease in South Asians Living in Western Countries: Burden, Outcomes, and Gaps in the Literature-A Scoping Review Protocol.

In England, diabetes-related foot ulcers and related amputations equate to approximately 1% of the National Health Service budget. Most of these costs are related to hospital admissions with diabetes-related foot ulcers, found to be 8.04 days longer when compared to those without ulcers. Although South Asian (SA) populations living in Western countries experience disproportionately high diabetes rates, they exhibit significantly lower prevalence of diabetes-related foot ulcers and lower-limb amputations compared to White European populations. This paradox remains underexplored, necessitating a scoping review to map existing evidence, elucidate disparities, and identify gaps. To explore the burden of diabetes-related foot ulcers among South Asians living in Western countries by examining their incidence, prevalence, and predisposing factors. Assessing clinical outcomes and lived experiences during the ulcerative phase and reviewing existing literature on recurrence and long-term post-healing complications. Following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported in line preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews. A comprehensive search will be conducted across databases, and registered with open science framework. This will be the first scoping review to map diabetes-related foot ulcers burden among South Asians in Western settings. Clarifying incidence and outcome disparities, highlighting research gaps, and suggesting directions for future studies.