Background

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a leading cause of illness and death globally, with a rising prevalence. Over time, declining ß-cell function often necessitates insulin therapy for proper glucose control. However, many patients resist insulin due to psychological barriers.

Objectives

To assess the perception of insulin therapy and to identify factors associated with insulin therapy perception among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) attending El-Mahsama Family Practice Center in Ismailia Governorate, Egypt.

Material and methods

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 216 patients with T2DM attending El-Mahsama Family Practice Center in Ismailia Governorate. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS V25 software.

Results

The mean age of the participants studied was 50.3 ± 12.1 (years). The Insulin Treatment Appraisal Score (ITAS) and negative insulin appraisal had significantly weak correlations with the educational, cultural, and economic domains. ITAS and negative insulin appraisal had significant positive moderate correlations with taking oral hypoglycemic drugs (OHDs). In contrast, positive insulin appraisal had significant negative moderate correlations with taking OHDs. Negative insulin appraisal also had significant negative weak correlations with the occurrence of hypoglycemic events. The multiple linear regression model showed that taking OHDs, a low educational domain, and a low economic domain were significant factors for high ITAS scores.

Conclusions

The study showed that the key factors associated with poor insulin perception included low education, economic hardship, and use of OHDs. Improving insulin acceptance requires targeted education and support, particularly in low-resource settings.