• Amin Hussein, Arafa Mostafa, Alnomi Areej, Al-Muteb Mona, Alduaiji Shimaa, Al-Gazlan Najd, and Alnemari Futoon.
• King Saud University, Family and Community Medicine.
• Afr Health Sci. 2019 Mar 1; 19 (1): 163816461638-1646.

BackgroundProblems may arise with insulin treatment, due to patients' perspective towards it leading to refusal.ObjectivesTo evaluate diabetic patients' refusal towards insulin therapy, and to assess patients' perception and perceived barriers towards insulin.MethodsA cross-sectionalstudy, where type 2 diabetics participated in the study during a period, February through March 2017. They were interviewed in person by a questionnaire including three sections; socio-demography, medical history and a health belief model, comprising barriers to use insulin. Five points Likert scale was used to measure patients' perception and barriers towards insulin therapy.ResultsOne fourth (24.4%) of the diabetic patients refused insulin. Among the controlled group, 34.4% refused insulin, while 21% refused insulin among the uncontrolled group. The study showed different barriers towards insulin therapy, including fear of injection, pain, insulin injection needs help from others, fear of hypoglycaemia and embarrassment.ConclusionDiabetics showed a negative attitude towards insulin therapy due to social and psychological factors. The results necessitate the development of a strategy to address problems related with a reluctance to initiate insulin and put a strategy to implement education and better interaction with diabetic team to the stigma from phobia from insulin use.

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