Knowledge, attitude, and practice of cervical spondylosis in the general public

To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding cervical spondylosis (CS) among the general public in China, and to identify factors associated with these KAP components. This cross-sectional study was conducted between January and June 2023 among general public, using a self-designed questionnaire. A total of 536 valid questionnaires were included. The KAP scores were 6 (5–7) for knowledge, 25 (24–39) for attitude, and 25 (23–29) for practice, respectively. Spearman correlation analysis showed positive correlation between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.093, P = 0.030), between knowledge and practice (r = 0.325, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that sitting time per day (OR 0.371, P = 0.020), household income above 5,000 Yuan per month (OR 0.488 ~ 0.555, P < 0.05), and unclear family history of CS were statistically associated with knowledge. Education (OR 3.577, P = 0.027), household income above 10,000 Yuan per month (OR 2.417, P = 0.012) were independently associated with attitude. Knowledge (OR 1.491, P < 0.001), middle aged participants (OR 1.918, P = 0.011) were independently associated with practice. The general public showed relatively adequate knowledge, and moderate attitude and practice towards CS. Associations were observed between KAP and demographic factors. Due to the cross-sectional design, causality cannot be established. Therefore, implications for health education should be viewed as preliminary and require confirmation through larger, multi-center, longitudinal studies.