Knowledge and attitude regarding insulin self-administration among diabetic patients: a cross-sectional study in a teaching hospital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major health problem, with a high prevalence worldwide, including in Pakistan. Insulin is a main treatment of type 1 DM (T1D) and type 2 DM (T2D). Many challenges and complications are linked with insulin self-administration (ISA). Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted at a single teaching hospital in Pakistan. Study participants were adults with T1D or T2D treated with insulin who attended the hospital. Data were collected using a pretested questionnaire that determined the participants’ knowledge of DM and ISA and their attitudes towards ISA. Mann–Whitney tests and Kruskal–Wallis tests were applied to check the association between demographic characteristics and knowledge and attitude. The Spearman rho correlation test was used to check the correlation between knowledge and attitude scores. Data were analyzed by applying SPSS version 24.0. Results Of the 105 survey participants, 66.9% were male and 33.1% were female, with a median age of 45 years. Only 22.9% of the participants had good knowledge about DM, 50.5% had average knowledge, and 26.7% had poor knowledge. The attitude towards ISA was favorable in 30.5% of participants, but unfavorable in 69.5%. Age and duration of insulin use were significantly related to knowledge and attitude scores, and there was positive linear correlation between knowledge score and attitude score. Conclusion Overall, participants had poor knowledge and unfavorable attitudes regarding DM and ISA therapy. The positive linear correlation between knowledge and attitude score suggests that if patients are knowledgeable about DM, their attitude regarding DM and ISA will also be favorable.