TY - JOUR
T1 - Knowledge of mpox and its determinants among the healthcare personnel in Arabic regions
T2 - A multi-country cross-sectional study
AU - Swed, Sarya
AU - Bohsas, Haidara
AU - Patwary, Muhammad Mainuddin
AU - Alibrahim, Hidar
AU - Rakab, Amine
AU - Nashwan, Abdulqadir J.
AU - Hafez, Wael
AU - Hassan, Noheir A.I.
AU - Shoib, Sheikh
AU - Elsayed, Mohamed
AU - Sawaf, Bisher
AU - Albuni, Mhd Kutaiba
AU - Battikh, Elias
AU - Mohamed, Gihan mustafa kamal
AU - AlBozom, Adel
AU - Shaddad, Ebrahim
AU - fathey, Sherihan
AU - Nu Htay, Mila Nu
AU - Sah, Sanjit
AU - Cherrez-Ojeda, Ivan
AU - Mohanty, Aroop
AU - Padhi, Bijaya Kumar
AU - Rodriguez-Morales, Alfonso J.
AU - Gandhi P, Aravind
AU - Sah, Ranjit
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023
PY - 2023/9
Y1 - 2023/9
N2 - Background & aim: The monkeypox virus (MPXV), an Orthopoxvirus family member, is the zoonotic agent that causes mpox (formerly known as monkeypox). The ongoing mpox pandemic has caused cases across continents involving 110 countries. This study aimed to assess mpox knowledge and its determinants among healthcare personnel. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from June 6 to June 25, 2022, among 17 Arab countries. The self-administered questionnaire consists of 53 questions assessing the knowledge about the monkeypox virus. Results: In total, 5874 medical students and clinical doctors from 17 Arab countries participated in this study. Only 13.8% (n = 812) of respondents have ever received information about mpox during their studies in medicine. The mean knowledge score was 13.84, and the median score was 15 (range 1–34). More than half (51.3%, n = 3012) have heard about mpox before. A low proportion of the participants had a good level of knowledge on mpox. Only 11.7% of respondents had correctly identified the natural host and the incubation period of mpox. More than half (58.9%) were aware of the signs and symptoms of mpox. Few respondents (28%) believed that mpox and smallpox have similar signs and symptoms. Specialist doctors had higher knowledge of mpox (AOR = 2.96, 95% CI = 2.24–3.92, p < 0.001) than other cadres. Conclusion: Mpox awareness among Arabic medical students and practitioners is low; hence immediate action in creating awareness among arab healthcare professionals is the need of the hour. This is crucial in the mpox early detection and prevention of its spread.
AB - Background & aim: The monkeypox virus (MPXV), an Orthopoxvirus family member, is the zoonotic agent that causes mpox (formerly known as monkeypox). The ongoing mpox pandemic has caused cases across continents involving 110 countries. This study aimed to assess mpox knowledge and its determinants among healthcare personnel. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from June 6 to June 25, 2022, among 17 Arab countries. The self-administered questionnaire consists of 53 questions assessing the knowledge about the monkeypox virus. Results: In total, 5874 medical students and clinical doctors from 17 Arab countries participated in this study. Only 13.8% (n = 812) of respondents have ever received information about mpox during their studies in medicine. The mean knowledge score was 13.84, and the median score was 15 (range 1–34). More than half (51.3%, n = 3012) have heard about mpox before. A low proportion of the participants had a good level of knowledge on mpox. Only 11.7% of respondents had correctly identified the natural host and the incubation period of mpox. More than half (58.9%) were aware of the signs and symptoms of mpox. Few respondents (28%) believed that mpox and smallpox have similar signs and symptoms. Specialist doctors had higher knowledge of mpox (AOR = 2.96, 95% CI = 2.24–3.92, p < 0.001) than other cadres. Conclusion: Mpox awareness among Arabic medical students and practitioners is low; hence immediate action in creating awareness among arab healthcare professionals is the need of the hour. This is crucial in the mpox early detection and prevention of its spread.
KW - Awareness
KW - Clinicians
KW - Medical students
KW - Middle East
KW - Monkeypox
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85163638915&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.nmni.2023.101146
DO - 10.1016/j.nmni.2023.101146
M3 - Artículo
AN - SCOPUS:85163638915
SN - 2052-2975
VL - 54
JO - New Microbes and New Infections
JF - New Microbes and New Infections
M1 - 101146
ER -
