Insulin-self administration among individuals with diabetes: Implications for improved practices

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology and Metabolism
• Patient Education
• Public Health

Background:

• Diabetes mellitus necessitates stringent glycemic control for managing microvascular and macrovascular complications.
• Insulin therapy is pivotal for diabetes management, with patient adherence to administration protocols being critical for treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the knowledge and practices of insulin use among patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
• To identify demographic and informational factors influencing insulin administration practices in diabetic patients.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study utilizing a validated, self-administered questionnaire distributed to 402 insulin-using diabetic outpatients.
• Data collected included socio-demographics, health characteristics, insulin knowledge, and insulin use practices.
• Quantile regression analysis was employed to determine factors associated with insulin administration practices.

Main Results:

• The median knowledge score was 5/9, and the median insulin administration practice score was 80.39/100.
• Factors associated with lower practice scores included older age, lack of diabetes information, and reliance on non-scientific information sources.
• Higher knowledge scores correlated positively with better insulin administration practices.

Conclusions:

• Diabetic patients demonstrate generally acceptable, yet improvable, knowledge and practices in insulin self-administration.
• Significant gaps in understanding and practice necessitate targeted interventions and uniform training programs.
• Policy initiatives should focus on enhancing patient education to promote effective insulin administration and improve health outcomes.