Patient barriers to insulin use in multi-ethnic populations

Insulin administration is often required in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus for optimal glycemic control. Despite this, however, many patients are reluctant to initiate insulin treatment. In the general population, there are multiple factors leading to this reluctance including fear of hypoglycemia, needle phobia and weight gain. These barriers are also present in multi-ethnic populations. However, there are several patient barriers that are more prevalent in various ethnic backgrounds that need to be addressed. These barriers include language barriers, poor health literacy, social factors and religious implications. The awareness of these factors as well as potential strategies to help overcome them can lead to the improved management of patients with diabetes from multi-ethnic populations.