Human monkeypox infection knowledge in the Philippines: An online cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND

In July 2022, human monkeypox (Mpox) was declared by the World Health Organization public health emergency of global concern. Assessing people's knowledge about Mpox will help the government and healthcare workers create policies to prevent the spread of the virus. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first study that assessed Filipinos' Mpox knowledge. Thus, this study investigated the Filipinos' Mpox knowledge and determined the demographic variables that predicted it.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional design study participated by 557 Filipinos. This study used a 21-item Mpox knowledge survey questionnaire to collect data from July to September 2022. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Most participants (53.74%) were above 30 years old, females (68.87%), residing in Luzon (54.96%), college graduates (61.04%), Catholics (78.61%), and employed (68%). Social media, particularly Facebook (57.91%), is the common source of Mpox-related information (78.61%). Participants' age (>30 years old) is the only predictor of Mpox infection knowledge (aOR: 3.13; 95%CI: 1.25-7.87,  = 0.015). They are three times more likely to be knowledgeable than those under 30.

CONCLUSION

The findings highlight the importance of evidence-based strategies for increasing public knowledge and awareness. The government, healthcare workers, and the public should adopt proactive preventive measures against Mpox to prevent future pandemics.