Comparison of fear of hypoglycemia in adolescents with type 1 diabetes using insulin pen and insulin pump

Type 1 diabetes is the type of diabetes that is insulin dependent. The most common acute complication encountered by individuals with type 1 diabetes receiving insulin therapy is hypoglycemia. Frequent and severe hypoglycemia may lead to the development of fear of hypoglycemia. Insulin treatment may be related to the fear of hypoglycemia due to its effect on glycemic control. In this context, the aim of the study is; To compare the fear of hypoglycemia in adolescents with type 1 diabetes using insulin pen and insulin pump. The data of the research, which was conducted in a descriptive and relationship-seeking type, was collected by snowball sampling method via Google forms. 88 volunteer adolescents participated in the research. The data was collected between May and September 2023 using the 'Adolescent with Type 1 Diabetes Diagnostic Form' and the 'University of Virginia Child/Adolescent Low Blood Sugar Scale (C-LBSS)'. Data were collected using the SPSS 16.0 package program; It was analyzed using independent samples t test, Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis Analysis of Variance and Dependent samples t test. In the study, significance was determined in the anxiety subscale of the scale only in the adolescents who had severe hypoglycemia in the last 12 months in the group using insulin pumps (p<0.05). In the group using insulin pens, adolescents who had severe hypoglycemia in the last 12 months, moderate hypoglycemia in the last 6 months, mild hypoglycemia in the last 1 month, and were absent from school had; (C-LBSS) scores; A significant difference was found in the anxiety sub-dimension according to the situations of hospitalization, being in a coma, finding the diabetes education they received sufficient and requesting repeat education (p<0.05). As a result of the study, it was determined that there was no relationship between the insulin pump and insulin pen methods used in the treatment of adolescents with type 1 diabetes and the fear of hypoglycemia. However, it has been concluded that acute traumatic experiences related to hypoglycemia, which may trigger the fear of hypoglycemia, cause fear and anxiety of hypoglycemia in adolescents using insulin pens.