Table 2.
Risk factors influencing LH.
| Characteristics | N | (%) |
|---|---|---|
| LH status | ||
| Present | 80 | 39.7 |
| Grade 1 | 46 | 22.8 |
| Grade 2 | 27 | 13.4 |
| Grade 3 | 7 | 3.5 |
| Not present | 122 | 60.3 |
| Device used | ||
| Pen | 147 | 72.8 |
| Syringe | 55 | 27.2 |
| Total daily injections | ||
| 1 | 39 | 19.3 |
| 2 | 88 | 43.6 |
| 3 | 18 | 8.9 |
| 4 | 53 | 26.2 |
| 5 | 4 | 2.0 |
| Needle length | ||
| 4 mm | 124 | 61.4 |
| 5 mm | 16 | 7.9 |
| 6 mm | 5 | 2.5 |
| 8 mm | 5 | 2.5 |
| Don't know | 52 | 25.7 |
| Frequently changed needles/syringes | ||
| At every injection | 120 | 60.3 |
| At every 2–3 injections | 38 | 19.1 |
| At every 4–5 injections | 30 | 15.1 |
| When cartridge finished | 11 | 5.5 |
| Changing site of injections | ||
| A different site at every injection | 128 | 63.7 |
| A week at each site | 24 | 11.9 |
| Haphazardly | 28 | 13.9 |
| Using only one site | 21 | 10.4 |
| Injection site used | ||
| Abdomen | 48 | 23.8 |
| Thighs | 94 | 46.5 |
| Buttocks | 4 | 2.0 |
| Arm | 56 | 27.7 |
| Type of insulin | ||
| Basal-bolus | 77 | 38.3 |
| Basal insulin alone | 25 | 12.4 |
| Premixed regular insulin | 66 | 32.8 |
| Premixed insulin analogue | 33 | 16.4 |
| BMI | ||
| Normal | 20 | 9.9 |
| Overweight | 48 | 23.8 |
| Obese | 134 | 66.3 |
| Does the patient have swelling or lumps under the skin at the injection sites? | ||
| Yes | 62 | 30.8 |
| No | 139 | 69.2 |
| Does the patient inject into these swellings or lumps? | ||
| Always | 4 | 6.8 |
| Sometimes | 27 | 45.8 |
| Never | 28 | 47.5 |
| Does the patient clean their skin with disinfectant (e.g. an alcohol swab) before injecting? | ||
| Yes | 149 | 73.8 |
| No | 53 | 26.2 |
| Injecting insulin | ||
| Vertical | 158 | 78.2 |
| Horizontal | 36 | 17.8 |
| Haphazardly | 8 | 4.0 |
Abbreviation: N: number.