The effect of using a 'curtain' on fear of self-injection, fear of blood glucose testing, and pain in patients with Type 2 diabetes

Aim: The study was conducted using a randomized controlled experimental design at Dicle University Faculty of Medicine Hospitals between November 2023 and March 2024. The sample consisted of 64 patients who met the inclusion criteria, with 32 patients assigned to the experimental group (curtain intervention) and 32 to the control group. Data were collected using the Participant Information Form, the Diabetes Fear of Injecting and Self-testing Questionnaire (D-FISQ), and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 21.0. Prior to the commencement of the study, written approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee and the institution where the research was conducted. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted as a randomized controlled experimental study. The sample consisted of 64 patients who met the inclusion criteria, with 32 assigned to the intervention (curtain) group and 32 to the control group. Data were collected using the Participant Information Form, the Diabetes Fear of Injecting and Self-Testing Questionnaire (D-FISQ), and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 21.0. Prior to the study, written approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee and from Hospitals. Resul Of the 64 individuals with type 2 diabetes who participated in the study, 46.9% were female and 53.1% were male; 59 were married and 5 were single. After randomization, there were no statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups in terms of sociodemographic characteristics (p>0.05). When the experimental group was compared with the control group after the intervention, it was found that the fear of self-injection, fear of testing and VAS mean score decreased statistically significantly (p<0.001). Conclusion: The use of a nature-themed curtain was found to be an effective non-pharmacological method for reducing fear and pain experienced during injection and blood glucose testing. The findings suggest that integrating nature-based visual stimuli into clinical practice may enhance patient comfort