Abstract
This Web-based cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) regarding insulin treatment. It was conducted from March 2023 to July 2023. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect demographic information from patients with T2DM and assess their KAP regarding insulin treatment. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied, and model adequacy was evaluated using established fit indices, including chi-square fit statistic/degrees of freedom, root mean square error of approximation, incremental fit index, Tucker–Lewis index, and comparative fit index. A total of 679 questionnaires were collected. Among patients with T2DM, 434 (63.92%) were male, 568 (84.65%) resided in urban areas, 328 (48.31%) had a high school or technical secondary school education, and 302 (44.48%) reported a familial predisposition to diabetes. The KAP scores were 4.43 ± 2.49 (possible range: 0–8), 36.63 ± 6.30 (possible range: 10–50), and 28.90 ± 10.69 (possible range: 9–45), respectively. SEM demonstrated that knowledge was positively associated with attitudes (β = 0.844, P < 0.001), and attitudes significantly predicted practices (β = 0.903, P < 0.001). The study found that participants in this sample demonstrated limited knowledge (mean score of 4.43/8), moderately negative attitudes (mean score of 36.63/50), and generally passive practices (mean score of 28.90/45) regarding insulin treatment. This the necessity of comprehensive training programs to enhance patient understanding and foster effective insulin administration behaviors. These findings highlight the need for strengthened patient education strategies and clinical interventions to improve insulin-related knowledge, attitudes, and self-management behaviors in routine diabetes care.
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Funding
This study was supported by the Scientific Research Projects of Medical and Health Institutions of Longhua District, Shenzhen (Grant No. 2023002), the Hospital Pharmacy Research Foundation of Guangdong Province (Grant No. 2023A32), and the Scientific Research Projects of Medical and Health Institutions of Longhua District, Shenzhen (Grant No. 2022106).
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WXX, BXS, and WHZ carried out the experiments, participated in collecting data, and drafted the manuscript. LYH and JH performed statistical analysis and participated in study design. LX and LYC participated in the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data and prepared the draft of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
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All procedures were performed in accordance with the ethical standards set out in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its subsequent amendments. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Affiliated Longhua People’s Hospital (Approval No. Longyi-2023-038). Informed consent was obtained from the study participants. All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations.
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Wang, X., Ling, Y., Liu, Y. et al. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward insulin treatment among patients with type 2 diabetes: a structural modeling study. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34821-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34821-7
