J Clin Nurs. 2021 Mar 4. doi: 10.1111/jocn.15736. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine the compliance with treatment and fear of hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes.
BACKGROUND: One of the important problems of patients are the fear of hypoglycemia and compliance with treatment, which impairs general health and quality of life. It is believed that nurses contribute to the improvement of compliance with treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes, a decrease in hypoglycemia rates.
DESIGN: This study was conducted as a descriptive study. The STROBE checklist was used.
METHODS: The study was carried out with 376 patients with type 2 diabetes between January-June 2019. The Patient Information Form, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Treatment Patient Compliance Scale, and Hypoglycemia Fear Survey applied and SAS 9.4 package program was used for statistical analysis. Data were evaluated using descriptive statistics, t-test, chi-square, and variation analysis.
RESULTS: It was determined that 58.2% of the participants were female, mean age was 62.19 ± 9.60, 57.7% were primary school graduates, 50.3% were using oral antidiabetic, 34.5% were using oral antidiabetic and insulin. Patients’ compliance with treatment was moderate (60.9%). According to the mean score of the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey, the patients had a low level of fear of hypoglycemia ( X– =1.20). There was a statistically significant difference between compliance and fear of hypoglycemia and education, economic status, self-monitoring of blood glucose, physical activity, education about diabetes (p<0.05). Patients with type 2 diabetes had decreased compliance with treatment with increased fear of hypoglycemia (p <0.05).
CONCLUSION: The participants’ compliance with the treatment was moderate and the fear of hypoglycemia mean score was low. Nursing interventions should be planned to increase compliance with treatment and reduce the fear of hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes.
RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Assessing the fear of hypoglycemia and the level of compliance with treatment by healthcare professionals, especially nurses, in patients with type 2 diabetes, and providing education on this subject can be helpful in reducing the fear of hypoglycemia, increasing treatment compliance and providing optimal glycemic control.
PMID:33660356 | DOI:10.1111/jocn.15736
