Mpox Awareness and Knowledge Among Residents of the Northern Border Region, Saudi Arabia: Implications for Community Preparedness.
In August 2024, the World Health Organization declared the ongoing mpox upsurge in Africa a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, underscoring mpox as an emerging global threat. In non‑endemic countries such as Saudi Arabia, understanding community awareness is critical for public health...
| Publicado en: | Journal of Community Health Vol. 51; no. 4; pp. 549 - 563 |
|---|---|
| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
| Formato: | Artículo |
| Publicado: |
Springer Nature
Aug2026
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=195499663&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 195499663 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 00945145 JCH jtl: Journal of Community Health issn: 00945145 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Aug2026 vid: 51 iid: 4 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature artinfo: ui: 195499663 10.1007/s10900-026-01565-y ppf: 549 ppct: 14 formats: tig: atl: Mpox Awareness and Knowledge Among Residents of the Northern Border Region, Saudi Arabia: Implications for Community Preparedness. aug: au: Abu Alsel, Baraah Alenezi, Elaf Ali A. Alanazi, Hajar Abdullah K. Alenezi, Fai Tulail N. Alenezi, Waten led Atiwi Al Suogaih, Munirah Suliman Alanazi, Rimas Khalid A. Al Suogaih, Norah Suliman Esmaeel, Safya E. Mersal, Fathia Ahmed Fahmy, Eslam K. Ismail, Mohammed M. Fawzy, Manal S. affil: https://ror.org/01bazpc66 Medical Sciences and Preparatory Year Department, North Private College of Nursing, 73244, Arar, Saudi Arabia https://ror.org/03j9tzj20 Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, 91431, Arar, Saudi Arabia https://ror.org/03j9tzj20 Physiology Department, College of Medicine, Northern Border University, 91431, Arar, Saudi Arabia https://ror.org/03j9tzj20 Department of Public Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Northern Border University, 73312, Arar, Saudi Arabia https://ror.org/03j9tzj20 Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, 91431, Arar, Saudi Arabia https://ror.org/03j9tzj20 Center for Health Research, Northern Border University, 73213, Arar, Saudi Arabia su: Saudi Arabia Health literacy Cross-sectional method Health behavior Communication Sociodemographic factors Risk assessment Random forest algorithms Data analysis Receiver operating characteristic curves Kruskal-Wallis Test Logistic regression analysis Questionnaires Statistical sampling Research evaluation Mann Whitney U Test Descriptive statistics Multivariate analysis Surveys Odds ratio Monkeypox Research methodology Statistics Machine learning Confidence intervals Accuracy Data analysis software sug: subj: Health literacy Cross-sectional method Health behavior Communication Sociodemographic factors Saudi Arabia Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling Risk assessment Random forest algorithms Data analysis Receiver operating characteristic curves Kruskal-Wallis Test Logistic regression analysis Questionnaires Statistical sampling Research evaluation Mann Whitney U Test Descriptive statistics Multivariate analysis Surveys Odds ratio Monkeypox Research methodology Statistics Machine learning Confidence intervals Accuracy Data analysis software keyword: Community health Cross‑sectional study Health education Medical and Health Sciences Public Health and Health Services Mpox Northern Border Region Public awareness Public health Community health Cross‑sectional study Health education Medical and Health Sciences Public Health and Health Services Mpox Northern Border Region Public awareness Public health ab: In August 2024, the World Health Organization declared the ongoing mpox upsurge in Africa a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, underscoring mpox as an emerging global threat. In non‑endemic countries such as Saudi Arabia, understanding community awareness is critical for public health preparedness and prevention. This study assessed mpox awareness and knowledge among residents of the Northern Border Region and identified factors associated with better knowledge, to inform targeted community‑based health communication strategies. A community‑based cross‑sectional survey was conducted between 1 March and 20 August 2025 among 1,362 adults. A structured, pre‑validated questionnaire assessed general knowledge, symptom recognition, and preventive measures. Knowledge scores (0–15) were summarized descriptively and categorized as poor, moderate, or good. Ordinal logistic regression and machine‑learning classifiers were used to identify predictors of higher knowledge and to explore the prediction of adequate knowledge from sociodemographic characteristics and prior mpox awareness, supporting risk stratification for community interventions. Among 1,362 participants (78.1% female; 56.8% aged 18–30 years), 48.4% had previously heard of mpox. Overall knowledge was suboptimal (mean 7.64/15; 50.9% correct); 48.3% had poor knowledge, 38.2% moderate, and 13.5% good. Suboptimal knowledge across sociodemographic groups suggests substantial vulnerability to future mpox introductions in this border region. Social media and other internet sources were the main information channels, underscoring their potential as primary platforms for risk communication. In multivariable ordinal regression, prior mpox awareness was the strongest predictor of higher knowledge (adjusted odds = 4.1), alongside higher education and health‑related occupations. Logistic‑regression–based machine‑learning models showed moderate discrimination and acceptable calibration (AUC‑ROC = 0.72; Brier = 0.19), with prior awareness consistently the most important feature. Mpox knowledge in the Northern Border Region is suboptimal and low across sociodemographic groups, particularly among less educated and non‑health‑sector participants. Prior exposure to mpox information is a central, modifiable determinant of adequate knowledge, underscoring the need for targeted, evidence‑based communication strategies, particularly via widely used digital platforms. Tailored community‑level interventions focusing on less educated and non‑health‑sector groups are essential to strengthen mpox preparedness and broader infectious‑disease readiness in this underserved border region. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
|---|