Knowledge Regarding Hypoglycemia and Its Management Among Patients With Insulin-Requiring Diabetes Mellitus in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Hypoglycemia has a negative influence on patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) using insulin, and a lack of knowledge about hypoglycemia is one of the main causes of hypoglycemia. We aim to assess the level of knowledge about hypoglycemia and its management among insulin-requiring DM patients in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with insulin-requiring DM in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, from November 2021 to March 2022. A questionnaire was filled out by the participants to assess their level of knowledge about hypoglycemia, which was categorized as good, fair, or poor if participants scored >7, 6-7, or <6, respectively. A total of 238 participants were recruited. Among participants, 55% were males, mainly in the age group of 40-65 years, and had higher education degrees. Doctors were the main source of information among participants. Most patients had no chronic illnesses other than DM or DM-related complications, although hypertension was reported in 37% of patients. The majority of participants had a good level of knowledge regarding hypoglycemia, and the main factors that increased it were getting information from doctors, social media, or a booklet or pamphlet (p-value <0.05). Our participants generally had a good level of knowledge about hypoglycemia, and doctors delivering information about hypoglycemia contributed significantly to this knowledge level.