Introduction: Due to the high incidence of mpox in Peru and the poor knowledge about this disease among healthcare workers in non-endemic countries, it is crucial to determine the knowledge status of Peruvian physicians. Methodology: We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study based on an online survey from August to September 2022. Physicians who had a medical license and lived and practiced medicine in Peru were included. To evaluate the factors associated with a higher level of knowledge, we used crude (cPR) and adjusted (aPR) prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) using Poisson regression. Results: We included 463 physicians. The mean age was 36.6 (SD: 10.3) years, and most were male (58.1%). Regarding knowledge, the median knowledge score was 14 [IQR: 13 to 15] out of 17 points. In terms of knowledge gaps, only 60.7% of the participants knew that there was an FDA-approved vaccine for mpox, 49.0% of participants knew about mpox proctitis and 33.3% acknowledged that it could be transmitted by the bite of an infected rodent. We found that taking care of patients with mpox (aPR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.72) was associated with higher knowledge (>p50), while living in the eastern macro-region (aPR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.42 to 0.93) was associated with lower knowledge (≤p50). Conclusions: Our study showed a high level of knowledge about mpox among Peruvian physicians. However, educational campaigns may be necessary, especially for physicians from the eastern region and those who do not have clinical experience with mpox.

Introduction: Climate change (CC) is a global public health issue, and the role of health professionals in addressing its impact is crucial. However, to what extent health professionals are prepared to deal with CC-related health problems is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of health students about the CC.Methods: We conducted a scoping review through systematic searches in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Proquest, and EBSCO. We included original scientific research with no language or time restrictions. Two authors independently reviewed and decided on the eligibility of the studies, then performed data extraction.Results: 21 studies were included, with a total of 9205 undergraduate nursing, medical, pharmacy, and public health students mainly. Most health science students (> 75%) recognized human activities as the main cause of CC. However, they perceived a lack of knowledge on how to address CC. Moreover, we found inadequate coverage or limited development of CC in related curricula that may contribute to incomplete learning or low confidence in the theoretical and practical concepts of students.Conclusion: The findings of our scoping review suggest that while health sciences students possess a general understanding of CC, there is a significant gap in their knowledge regarding its specific health impacts. To address this gap, there is a need for targeted education and training for future health care professionals that emphasizes the health effects of CC.

To determine the factors associated with not receiving the booster dose for COVID-19 in Peru, a cross-sectional study by secondary analysis of a University of Maryland and Facebook survey database assessing the global impact of COVID-19 was conducted. Data of Peruvian users of this social network over 18 years of age who answered the survey between 13 February 2022 and 14 April 2022 were analyzed. We evaluated the association between sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, and history of COVID-19 with having received a booster dose for COVID-19. Crude (cPR) and adjusted (aPR) prevalence ratios with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated. A sample of 20,814 adults, 21.5% of whom reported not receiving the booster dose, was analyzed. People under 75 years of age had a higher prevalence of not having received the booster dose. Likewise, having a university education (aPR = 1.03; 95%CI: 1.02–1.05), secondary, or pre-university education (aPR = 1.07; 95%CI: 1.05–1.09), or having a primary level or less (aPR = 1.11; 95%CI: 1.05–1.18), were associated with a higher prevalence of not receiving the booster, compared to individuals with a postgraduate education. Being employed (aPR = 1.01; 95%CI: 1.00–1.02), having had COVID-19 (aPR = 1.03; 95%CI: 1.01–1.04) and living in a town (aPR = 1.05; 95%CI: 1.02–1.07) or in a rural area (aPR = 1.06; 95%CI: 1.03–1.10), compared to living in the city, had a similar association. On the contrary, the female gender was associated with a lower prevalence of not receiving the booster (aPR = 0.97; 95%CI: 0.96–0.99). Sociodemographic characteristics and a history of having had COVID-19 were associated with the probability of not having received the booster dose for COVID-19 in the Peruvian population.

Objectives To evaluate the frequency of knowledge and attitudes towards dengue prevention among the Peruvian population, as well as the sociodemographic factors associated with reported knowledge and attitude outcomes. Design/setting A cross-sectional study was conducted, based on information from the National Survey of Budget Programs of Peru, 2019. Participants We included 57 829 respondents with a mean age of 40.3±17.4 years, of whom 52.8% were women and 87.6% were from urban areas. Primary and secondary outcomes Knowledge about dengue infection (transmission, symptoms, importance of going to a health centre and not self-medicating) and preventive attitudes to avoid infection. Results Of all the respondents, 36.2% (n=23 247) presented good knowledge about dengue and 11.6% (n=7890) had a higher number of preventive attitudes (≥3 attitudes). In the multivariate regression analysis, we found that being female (for knowledge: aPR (adjusted prevalence ratio): 1.03; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.03; and for attitude: aPR: 1.02; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.02), being married/cohabiting (for knowledge: aPR: 1.02; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.03; and for attitude: aPR: 1.01; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.02) and residing in the jungle (for knowledge: aPR: 1.14; 95% CI 1.12 to 1.16; and for attitude: aPR: 1.09; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.11) were associated with better knowledge and more preventive attitudes. In addition, we found that being an adolescent (for knowledge: aPR: 0.97; 95% CI 0.96 to 0.99; and for attitude: aPR: 0.99; 95% CI 0.97 to 0.99), and belonging to the Quechua ethnic group (for knowledge: aPR: 0.93; 95% CI 0.91 to 0.94; and for attitude: aPR: 0.98; 95% CI 0.97 to 0.99) were associated with a lower proportion of adequate knowledge and fewer preventive attitudes. Conclusions Our study found a high proportion of poor knowledge and few preventive attitudes towards dengue in the Peruvian population. That highlights the requirement to implement national strategies to educate people about dengue and promote preventive attitudes, considering the factors found.

To assess the association between inadequate prenatal care (IPNC) and Low birth weight (LBW) in newborns of singleton gestation mothers in Peru. We performed a secondary analysis of data from the 2019 Demographic and Health Survey. We included a total of 10,186 women of reproductive age (15 – 49 years) who had given birth to a singleton child in the last 5 years. The dependent variable was LBW (< 2500 g). The independent variables were IPNC (inadequate: when at least one of the IPNC components was absent [number of PNC visits ≥ 6, first PNC visit during the first trimester, compliance with PNC visit contents, and PNC visits provided by trained health personnel]) and each of its components. We evaluated the association using logistic regression models to estimate crude odds ratios and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). We found that approximately six out of 100 live births had LBW and that seven out of 10 women had received IPNC. We observed that receiving IPNC (aOR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.09 – 1.77) and having less than six prenatal control visits (aOR: 3.20; 95% CI: 2.48 – 4.13) were associated with higher odds of LBW regardless of the mother's age, educational level, occupation, wealth, region, rural origin, ethnicity, sex of the newborns, and place of delivery. While, regarding to the other PNC components, first prenatal control in the first trimester (aOR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.76 – 1.28) and compliance with prenatal control contents (aOR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.86 – 1.34), they were associated with lower and higher odds of LBW, respectively, regardless of the same adjustment variables, but it was not statistically significant. IPNC and having less than six PNC visits were associated with higher odds of LBW. Therefore, it is very important to implement strategies that ensure access to quality prenatal care is necessary to reduce the consequences of LBW.