Abstract:
Conspiracy theories accompany the emergence of infectious diseases and the 2022 multi-country monkeypox (MPX) outbreak is no exception. It is possible that the adoption of conspiracy beliefs negatively impacts health behavior. We aimed to assess the prevalence of conspiratorial attitudes towards emerging virus infections (EVIs) and the response measures aiming to control these infections among the general public in Jordan. In addition, we assessed MPX knowledge and the belief in the role of men who have sex with men (MSM) in virus spread. The online survey data were collected during 24 May 2022-28 June 2022. The survey instrument was based on previously published scales designed to measure MPX knowledge and EVI conspiracies. A total of 611 respondents formed the final study sample, with a mean age of 44 years and a majority of females (n = 433, 70.9%). On a scale ranging from -10 to +10, the median MPX knowledge score in the study sample was +3 (interquartile range: +1 to +5). Educational level was a determinant of MPX knowledge in multivariate analysis. More than 50% of the participants agreed at least to some extent with 9 out of 12 of the EVI conspiracy items. Multivariate analysis showed that embracing conspiracy beliefs about EVIs was associated with being female, and agreeing with or having no opinion regarding the role of MSM in MPX spread. The current study revealed the high prevalence of belief in conspiracies surrounding EVIs, and its accompanying intervention measures, among the general public in Jordan. In addition, a lower level of MPX knowledge was observed compared to previous studies among university students and health professionals in the country. We recommend evaluating the impact of the widely prevalent conspiracy beliefs on health aspects in future studies. This aim is particularly relevant in the Middle Eastern countries where embracing specific conspiracy ideas is a common occurrence.
摘要:
阴谋论伴随着传染病的出现,2022年多国猴痘(MPX)的爆发也不例外。采用阴谋信念可能会对健康行为产生负面影响。我们旨在评估约旦公众对新兴病毒感染(EVIs)的阴谋态度的普遍性以及旨在控制这些感染的应对措施。此外,我们评估了MPX知识和对男男性行为者(MSM)在病毒传播中的作用的信念.在线调查数据是在2022年5月24日至2022年6月28日期间收集的。调查工具基于先前发布的用于测量MPX知识和EVI阴谋的量表。共有611名受访者组成了最终的研究样本,平均年龄44岁,女性占多数(n=433,70.9%)。在-10至+10范围内的量表上,研究样本中的MPX知识得分中位数为+3(四分位距:+1至+5)。在多变量分析中,受教育程度是MPX知识的决定因素。超过50%的参与者至少在某种程度上同意EVI阴谋项目中的12个中的9个。多变量分析表明,拥抱关于EVI的阴谋信念与女性有关,并且同意或不同意MSM在MPX传播中的作用。目前的研究表明,人们对围绕电动汽车的阴谋的信念很高,及其伴随的干预措施,在约旦的普通民众中。此外,与以前的研究相比,在该国的大学生和卫生专业人员中观察到MPX知识水平较低.我们建议在未来的研究中评估广泛流行的阴谋信念对健康方面的影响。这一目标在中东国家尤其重要,在这些国家中,普遍采用特定的阴谋思想。