Abstract

RIOS-GONZALEZ, Carlos Miguel. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices about monkeypox in the general population of Paraguay. Rev. cient. cienc. salud [online]. 2024, vol.6, e6153.  Epub Nov 22, 2024. ISSN 2664-2891.  https://doi.org/10.53732/rccsalud/2024.e6153.

Introduction. Monkeypox, or mpox, has transformed from an endemic disease in Africa to a global concern with an alarming increase in cases worldwide since May 2022. This rapid spread led the WHO to declare mpox a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022, highlighting the gravity of the situation. Objective. To assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to monkeypox (mpox) in the general population of Paraguay during 2024. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed through social media and messaging applications. The questionnaire was previously validated by an expert panel and a pilot test. Results. 319 participants were included, with a gender distribution of 50.8% female. The most represented age group was 30-44 years (35.1%). 55.8% reported university education and 80.3% resided in Asunción and Central. Only 2.5% of participants showed a high level of knowledge about mpox. 62.1% perceived mpox as a serious threat to public health. Willingness to be vaccinated against mpox was high, with 79.6% indicating that they would or probably get vaccinated. Conclusion. This study identifies important knowledge gaps about mpox in the general population of Paraguay, but also reveals favorable attitudes toward prevention and control of the disease.

Keywords : mpox; knowledge; attitud; Paraguay; public health.

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