Knowledge and Practice of Use of Insulin Therapy Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Attending Primary Health Care Centers, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the level of knowledge and practice of insulin therapy among patients with type 2 diabetes in Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 400 pretested structured questionnaires were administered through an interview with patients in a primary health care center. Responses from 324 participants (81% response rate) were analyzed. The questionnaire comprised three main sections: sociodemographic data, a knowledge assessment, and a practice assessment. The total knowledge score was calculated out of 10: 7-10 was excellent, 5.5-6.9 was satisfactory, and less than 5.5 was poor. Result: Approximately 57% of the participants were ≤ 59 years old, and 56.3% were females. The mean knowledge score was 6.5 (+/-1.6). Participants showed an overall good practice, with 92.5 rotating the site of injection, 83.3% sterilizing the site, and 95.7% taking insulin regularly. The knowledge level was influenced effectively by gender, marital status, educational level, job, frequency of follow-up, having visited a diabetic educator, duration of insulin therapy, and experiencing a hypoglycemic event (p-value <0.05). Knowledge was revealed to significantly influence self-insulin administration, meal-skipping after taking insulin, use of home glucose monitoring, keeping snacks nearby, and taking insulin in relation to meals (p-value <0.05). In some of the practice parameters, patients with high knowledge scores had better practice. Conclusion: Knowledge of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus was satisfactory, with significant differences in knowledge according to gender, marital status, educational level, occupation, duration of diabetes, frequency of follow-up, visiting a diabetic educator, and having an experience of the hypoglycemic episode. Participants showed overall good practice, with better practice being associated with a higher knowledge score.