Socio-demographic determinants of the knowledge and attitude of Nepalese healthcare workers toward human monkeypox: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Human monkeypox is an infectious zoonotic disease and since May 2022, there has been a spike in cases worldwide. In this regard, a global health emergency has been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) on July 23rd, 2022. Although there have been no confirmed human monkeypox cases in Nepal yet, the nation is undeniably at risk of an outbreak. Despite all preventive efforts and preparedness for monkeypox, there still remain several challenges including the literacy and knowledge of our healthcare workers regarding monkeypox. The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge and attitude of Nepalese healthcare workers regarding monkeypox. A cross-sectional study was performed on different healthcare workers at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital on the month of October 2022 using a set of validated questionnaires used previously in a Saudi Arabian study. An in-person survey was conducted where a total of 220 questionnaires were distributed. The response rate was 93%. Knowledge was categorized into high or low based on the mean knowledge score. The attitude was assessed using a 3-point Likert scale. The association of the knowledge and attitude of the respondents in accordance with their socio-demographics was statistically evaluated using Pearson’s Chi-square test. The mean knowledge score was 13. A larger proportion of the respondents (60.4%) demonstrated a high knowledge and 51.1% demonstrated a positive attitude. Studying monkeypox during medical education possessed a significant difference in the attitude (p = 0.025). Knowledge did not vary based on socio-demographic characteristics. Despite almost half a year into the monkeypox outbreak, Nepalese healthcare workers still have an unsatisfying degree of knowledge and a negative attitude regarding its control which shows the need for education and awareness.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Monkeypox Surveillance – A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Furthermore, 43 literature reviews and 82 editorials were excluded, as they were not suitable for inclusion in this speci c review. As a result of the rigorous study selection process, 10 papers [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] were deemed eligible and included in the review. It is noteworthy that no additional reports of newly included studies were found.…”

“…An overview of the demographic factors relevant to the research on the assessment of HCWs KAP regarding Mpox is shown in Table 2. The studies [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] used cross-sectional study designs to gather data and were carried out in various nations. The studies' samples, which ranged from 163 to 639 HCWs, were different in size.…”

“…A thorough summary of the conclusions drawn from the chosen studies [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] is shown in Table 3 about the KAP of HCWs regarding Mpox. Self-reported questionnaires were used in the trials, and they were distributed using a variety of platforms, including Google Forms, WhatsApp, Twitter, and WeChat.…”

“…Although some people claimed to have had Mpox in the past and to have had the smallpox vaccine, it was not consistently found that people had a strong intention to adopt preventive measures. A self-reported questionnaire was used by Das et al [17] with a high response rate of 93% via WhatsApp and Twitter. A signi cant fraction of the sample had more than seven years of job experience, according to the study.…”

“…Evidence points to a signi cant increase in the frequency and intensity of such outbreaks, calling for all nations to take extensive preventative and remedial action [25][26][27]. HCWs play a signi cant role in managing and lessening the effects of Mpox epidemics, which is at the heart of these essential elements [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. The relevance of HCWs' KAP towards Mpox and the need for thorough education and training programs has not been stressed enough if one analyses the literature on this subject [9][10][11].…”