Compliance with treatment and fear of hypoglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the compliance with treatment and fear of hypoglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: One of the important problems of patients is the fear of hypoglycaemia 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 hypoglycaemia 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 and 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, and 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 hypoglycaemia ( $\overline{X}$ = 1.20). There was a statistically significant difference between compliance and fear of hypoglycaemia and education, economic status, self-monitoring of blood glucose, physical activity and education about diabetes (p < .05). Patients with type 2 diabetes had decreased compliance with treatment with increased fear of hypoglycaemia (p < .05).

Conclusion: The participants' compliance with the treatment was moderate, and the fear of hypoglycaemia mean score was low. Nursing interventions should be planned to increase compliance with treatment and reduce the fear of hypoglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Relevance to clinical practice: Assessing the fear of hypoglycaemia 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 hypoglycaemia, increasing treatment compliance and providing optimal glycaemic control.

Keywords: compliance with treatment; fear of hypoglycaemia; hypoglycaemia; nursing; type 2 diabetes.