METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to July 2022 among undergraduate medical students at King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia. A systematic random sampling technique was applied to select the study participants. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge and attitudes toward the monkeypox virus. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were performed.
RESULTS: A total of 314 medical students were recruited for this study. The findings from this study showed that the vast majority of medical students (72%) had poor knowledge about the monkeypox virus. Respondents\' age, grade point average (GPA), fathers\' education level, and training received about the monkeypox virus were significantly associated with the level of knowledge about the monkeypox virus (p < 0.05). Nearly half of the respondents (45.9%) agreed that the monkeypox virus could be transmitted to Saudi Arabia. Overall, this study showed that the awareness levels regarding the monkeypox virus were significantly higher among seniors as compared to junior students.
CONCLUSIONS: The study found poor knowledge of the monkeypox virus among currently enrolled medical students in the country\'s highest-ranked medical school. This finding emphasizes the urgent need to increase their knowledge because controlling outbreaks requires significant cooperation from knowledgeable and skilled healthcare providers.
方法:2022年5月至7月,在哈立德国王大学的医学生中进行了一项横断面研究。Abha,沙特阿拉伯。采用系统随机抽样技术选择研究参与者。一份自我管理的问卷被用来收集社会人口统计学特征的数据,对猴痘病毒的知识和态度。进行描述性统计和卡方检验。
结果:本研究共招募了314名医学生。这项研究的结果表明,绝大多数医学生(72%)对猴痘病毒的了解不足。受访者的年龄,平均成绩(GPA),父亲的教育水平,和接受的有关猴痘病毒的培训与猴痘病毒的知识水平显着相关(p<0.05)。近一半的受访者(45.9%)认为猴痘病毒可以传播到沙特阿拉伯。总的来说,这项研究表明,与低年级学生相比,老年人对猴痘病毒的认识水平明显更高。
结论:该研究发现,在该国排名最高的医学院中,目前入学的医学生对猴痘病毒的了解不足。这一发现强调了迫切需要增加他们的知识,因为控制疫情需要知识渊博和熟练的医疗保健提供者的大量合作。