Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.
Multan Institute of Kidney Diseases, Multan, Pakistan.
PLoS One. 2023 Aug 10;18(8):e0279952. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279952. eCollection 2023.
Monkeypox (mpox), re-emerging zoonotic infectious disease, is striking the world with serious public health concerns, especially in non-endemic countries. The public's knowledge and attitude towards the monkeypox virus (MPXV) influence their adherence to preventive strategies. Therefore, we aimed to assess the public's knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) of MPXV in Pakistan.
We collected data for this cross-sectional study from 1040 participants via online self-reported questionnaire from July 5th, 2022, to August 1st, 2022. The questionnaire consisted of a total of 29 items in four sections, assessing socio-demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding MPXV. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS V.25, and factors associated with MPXV knowledge, attitude, and practices were identified by using logistic regression analyses.
A total of 1040 participants were included. 61.4% were male, and 57.2% had graduation level education. Only 34.4% had good knowledge about MPXV, and 30% knew the effectiveness of the smallpox vaccine against MPXV. 41.7% had a positive attitude, 48.6% agreed that it is a fatal disease, and 44.6% were in favour of banning travel from endemic to non-endemic regions. 57.7% had good practices, and 69.9% would use protective measures if MPXV became an epidemic. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that gender and education significantly impacted knowledge (p<0.05). While monthly income status had a significant impact on attitudes (p<0.05). The practices were positively correlated with gender and education (p<0.05).
The majority of study participants had inadequate levels of knowledge, and attitudes regarding MPXV. To prevent the emergence and spread of MPXV in Pakistan, a comprehensive strategic framework for public health education must be established and implemented.
猴痘（mpox）是一种重新出现的人畜共患传染病，对世界公共卫生造成严重影响，尤其是在非流行国家。公众对猴痘病毒（MPXV）的知识和态度影响他们对预防策略的遵守。因此，我们旨在评估巴基斯坦公众对 MPXV 的知识、态度和看法（KAP）。
我们通过在线自报问卷从 2022 年 7 月 5 日至 8 月 1 日收集了这项横断面研究的数据，共 1040 名参与者。问卷共包括四个部分的 29 个项目，评估了 MPXV 相关的社会人口统计学、知识、态度和实践。使用 IBM SPSS V.25 分析数据，并使用逻辑回归分析确定与 MPXV 知识、态度和实践相关的因素。
共纳入 1040 名参与者。61.4%为男性，57.2%具有毕业水平教育。仅有 34.4%对 MPXV 有良好的了解，30%知道天花疫苗对 MPXV 的有效性。41.7%的态度为阳性，48.6%认为这是一种致命疾病，44.6%赞成禁止从流行地区到非流行地区的旅行。57.7%的实践良好，69.9%如果 MPXV 成为流行病，将采取保护措施。二元逻辑回归分析显示，性别和教育水平对知识有显著影响（p<0.05）。而月收入状况对态度有显著影响（p<0.05）。实践与性别和教育呈正相关（p<0.05）。
大多数研究参与者对 MPXV 的知识和态度水平不足。为了防止 MPXV 在巴基斯坦的出现和传播，必须建立和实施一个全面的公共卫生教育战略框架。
