From Novice To Expert: Comparing Public Health Students' Knowledge Of Monkeypox And Its Risk Perception

Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Health Services Academy (HSA), Islamabad, 03 months (June to September 2023). Methodology: A study was done at HSA, Islamabad, where 800 students of Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH), Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH), and Doctorate (PhD) are enrolled. Two hundred sixty students were selected, by a stratified random sampling technique. Data were gathered by administering a questionnaire (self-developed, pre-tested). Categorisation of monkeypox( Mpox)-related knowledge was good or poor on the basis of scores (percentage). Attitude and risk perception were recorded on a Likert scale. Chi-square test evaluated the association of the educational level of the respondents with study variables. Results: Knowledge and positive attitudes were seen to improve with advanced academic levels. Association between education level and Mpox knowledge was not significant. Those enrolled in MSPH (59.3%) showed non-significant trends (p=0.31) toward improved knowledge. Moreover, 60.7% of MSPH students had a relatively high perception of knowledge, but the difference was non-significant (p- value 0.16). Conclusion: Specific educational interventions, involving the community and media, should be done in order to address knowledge gaps, resulting in better preparedness for Mpox outbreaks.