Level of Knowledge Regarding Mpox among Peruvian Physicians during the 2022 Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Study.

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.

Factors associated with prevention practices against COVID-19 in the Peruvian population: Disparities between rural and urban areas.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors associated with prevention practices against COVID-19 in the Peruvian population according to rural vs. urban locations. METHODS: Analytical cross-sectional study, secondary analysis based on a previously collected database. A sample of individuals over 18 years of age, residing in Peru and with no history of COVID-19was evaluated. Factors associated with prevention practices were evaluated using Poisson regressions with variance adjustment by region cluster and stratified by rurality. RESULTS: Of 3231 participants included, 2741 (84.8%) were from urban areas and 490 (15.2%) from rural areas. The frequency of good prevention practices against COVID-19 was 27.8% in our total sample. In urban areas the frequency of good prevention practices was 28.8% and in rural areas it was 22.5%. Factors associated with prevention practices against COVID-19 in both urban and rural areas were male sex (urban: aPR 0.64, 95%CI 0.55-0.75; rural: aPR 0.66, 95%CI 0.54-0.80) and self-considering adequately carrying out prevention practices (urban: aPR 2.48, 95%CI 2.13-2.89; rural: aPR 2.70, 95%CI 2.27-3.19). CONCLUSION: The frequency of good prevention practices against COVID-19 was less than 30% in both urban and rural areas. There are differences in the factors associated with good preventive practice against COVID-19. Only sex and considering that preventive measures were adequately carried out were associated with good prevention practices in both areas. In view of this, prevention measures should be promoted taking into account cultural principles and considering geographical location in the face of present and future outbreaks or pandemics.

Factors associated with the intention to participate in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials: A cross-sectional study in Peru.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the factors associated with the intention to participate in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials in the Peruvian population. METHODS: Cross-sectional study and secondary analysis of a database that involved Peruvian population during September 2020. The Poisson regression model was used to estimate the associated factors. RESULTS: Data from 3231 individuals were analyzed, 44.1% of whom intended to participate in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. Factors associated with the outcome were being male (RPa: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.15-1.35), being from the highlands region (RPa: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.09-1.28) or jungle (RPa: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.15-1.47), having a relative that is a healthcare professional (PRa: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.06-1.28), using a medical source of information (PRa: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.17-1.41), and trusting in the possible effectiveness of vaccines (PRa: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.29-1.51). The main reason for not participating in the trial was the possibility of developing side effects (69.80%). CONCLUSION: There is an urgent need to generate a perception of safety in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, to increase the population's intention to participate in these studies, and to provide evidence-based information about the vaccine.

Problematic Internet Use Associated with Symptomatic Dry Eye Disease in Medical Students from Peru.

PURPOSE: Dry eye is a multifactorial ocular surface disease (DED) characterized by a loss of tear film homeostasis, which is widely associated with alterations in mental health. Problematic internet use (PIU) is defined as the feeling of concern about using this tool irresistibly, for longer periods than usual, accompanied by anguish that results from not doing so without reaching mania or hypomania behaviors. Both PIU and DED present a theoretical link; however, there are no published studies that report its relationship with problematic internet use. Therefore, this study aims to determine the association between PIU and symptomatic DED in Peruvian medical students. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Analytical cross-sectional study that included human medical students from Peru. For the measurement of main variables, the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) were used. To study their relationship, the Poisson regression analysis was used, we consider a p-value <0.05 as significant. RESULTS: Data from 844 medical students were analyzed, 35.7% male and 64.3% female, with an average age of 21.8 ± 3.3 years. Likewise, the prevalence of symptomatic DED was 70.9%, and the internet's controlled use was 85.3%. In the analysis adjusted for symptomatic DED, the men showed significant differences in the controlled use of the internet (p <0.003), of which those who had PIU, 50% had severe symptomatic DED, as well as 80% of those addicted to the internet. The adjusted model showed that the PIU increases the prevalence of symptomatic DED in men (PR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.06-1.29); however, in women, no association was found between both variables. CONCLUSION: PIU and symptomatic DED showed a significant association in male medical students from Peru.

Educación médica virtual en Perú en tiempos de COVID-19 / Virtual Medical Education In Peru During COVID-19

La educación médica tiene como objetivo la excelencia en la formación de profesionales de la salud. Así, la educación virtual surge ante la dificultad de acceso de muchos estudiantes a los centros educativos. La educación médica no es ajena a esta transición, por lo que es importante que tanto docentes como alumnos adopten estas herramientas para conseguir un proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje de calidad. Existe evidencia sobre la efectividad y aceptación del aprendizaje virtual dentro de la comunidad médica, donde los estudiantes describen su satisfacción a esta modalidad de educación, como una buena opción para una mejor formación. Sin embargo, algunas instituciones educativas no están preparadas para este cambio y muchas de ellas no cuentan con plataformas virtuales o no tienen la capacidad de impartirlos conocimientos adecuadamente de manera virtual; lo que expone una realidad deficiente en esta era digital. La educación virtual tiene el reto de capacitar y adaptar a sus docentes a estos nuevos métodos de enseñanza frente a sus estudiantes que ya han nacido dentro de un mundo digital. No obstante, no todos los estudiantes tienen acceso en casa a estas tecnologías o conectividad necesarias para la educación virtual, en muchos casos por falta de recursos para la adquisición de computadoras o internet, sumado a las limitaciones propias de los que viven en zonas rurales.

Medical education aims at excellence in the training of health professionals. Thus, virtual education arises from the difficulty of access of many students to educational centers. Medical education is no stranger to this transition, so it is important for both teachers and students to adopt these tools to achieve a quality teaching-learning process. There is evidence on the effectiveness and acceptance of virtual learning within the medical community, where students describe their satisfaction with this modality of education as a good option for better training. However, some educational institutions are not prepared for this change and many of them do not have virtual platforms or do not have the capacity to impart knowledge properly in a virtual way, which exposes a poor reality in this digital age. Virtual education has the challenge of training and adapting its teachers to these new teaching methods in front of its students who have already been born in a digital world. However, not all students have access at home to these technologies or connectivity necessary for virtual education, in many cases due to lack of resources for the purchase of computers or the internet, added to the limitations of those living in rural areas.