Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Chronic Prostatitis Patients Regarding Electrophysiological Therapy in a Chinese Tertiary Hospital: A Cross-Sectional SEM Study

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of patients with chronic prostatitis (CP) concerning electrophysiological therapy. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at Shantou Central Hospital between March 2025 and June 2025. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire specifically designed to assess the three domains of KAP. To investigate the interrelationships among knowledge, attitudes, and practices, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed. Results: A total of 338 valid questionnaires were collected, with a mean age of 39.11 years (standard deviation: ± 10.56). Their knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 12.04 ± 6.40 (possible range: 0– 24), 23.87 ± 6.86 (possible range: 10– 50), and 25.41 ± 11.30 (possible range: 10– 50), respectively. SEM analysis showed the negative direct effect of knowledge on both attitude (β = − 0.344, P = 0.01), as well as the positive direct effect of attitude on practice (β = 0.494, P = 0.016); furthermore, knowledge negatively and indirectly affected practice through attitude (β = − 0.17, P = 0.019). Conclusion: Patients diagnosed with CP demonstrated insufficient knowledge, negative attitudes, and suboptimal practices regarding electrophysiological therapy. These findings may help inform the design of patient education strategies and highlight the importance of considering behavioral and perceptual factors when promoting non-pharmacological therapies. The results should be interpreted in light of the single-center design and self-reported data.