title: Survey of knowledge-attitude-practice concerning insulin use in adult diabetic patients in eastern India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study was conducted to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding insulin use among diabetic patients in tertiary care hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Type 1 and 2 diabetic patients, aged 18 years and above, attending the Medicine/Endocrinology out-patient department or admitted as in-patients in three hospitals in and around Kolkata were enrolled. A pretested structured questionnaire comprising of 51 items was administered through face-to-face interview. Responses from 385 subjects were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both higher educational and higher economic standards were associated with better understanding of insulin use. Longer duration of diabetes and its treatment (oral anti-diabetic drugs and insulin) were associated with better knowledge of some parameters. Female subjects were less aware of HbA1c as a monitoring tool. Among current insulin users, 70% had never used a glucometer; only 27.33% carried simple carbohydrates for use in hypoglycemic attacks; and 32% failed to rotate sites for insulin injection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge and attitude were satisfactory on the whole but deficiencies in practice were pronounced, which can potentially be removed through appropriate counseling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Sourav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das Choudhury
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine and Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Hospital, West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Kalyani, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Somak Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Avijit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hazra
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007194:India; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin
keywords: Attitude; diabetes mellitus; knowledge; mellitus; practice
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