Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Insulin Use and its Adverse Effects in Adult Diabetic Population in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background and Aims: A proper assessment and understanding of knowledge, attitude and practice factors among patients is helpful in diabetes, for which prevention and control necessitate a lifelong adoption of healthy lifestyles. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding insulin use and its adverse effects among the diabetic population. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational, questionnaire-based study was conducted over a period of three months on patients of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus on insulin therapy for more than three months and attending medicine/diabetes outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital. A pretested structured questionnaire comprising of 27 items was administered through a face-to-face interview. Results: Responses from 295 subjects were analyzed. Most of the subjects were unaware of different types of insulin (65.8%), believed that insulin could be stopped once blood glucose levels normalize (63.1%) and did not keep a readily available source of blood glucose when went out (53.9%). Males were more knowledgeable regarding insulin use and adverse effects compared to female (p =0.0063). Higher education was associated with good practice regarding insulin use (p=0.0287). Longer duration of diabetes was associated with better knowledge (p=0.0004). Longer duration of insulin use was associated with better knowledge (p=0.0001) and practice (p=0.0155). Conclusions: A proper educational intervention is needed that may create awareness among insulin users on the aspect of knowledge that would rather improve their attitude and practice.