台灣猴痘疫苗接種者之猴痘知識初探

Knowledge of Monkeypox among High-risk Individuals Receiving Human Monkeypox Pre-exposure Vaccination in Taiwan

目的：在2022年，全球陸續爆發猴痘(Mpox)疫情，引起國際間的高度關注。本研究旨在探討台灣接種猴痘疫苗的對象的流行病學特徵，同時深入了解民眾對此疾病的認知程度。

方法：我們在台灣的一家醫學中心於2023年5月至6月之間對欲接受第一劑暴露前預防接種疫苗(pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP)的成年人進行了線上問卷調查。問卷共包含三十題是非題，從六個面向評估填答者對於猴痘的認識。研究採用t檢定或卡方檢定進行二項分析，探討人口統計學上的差異是否與猴痘知識水平存在關聯，並透過多變數邏輯斯迴歸分析評估哪些人口特徵或社會因子是高風險族群對於猴痘認知差異的相關因素。

結果：共有2,604位填答者完成了問卷，其中97.3%為男性，76.4%自我認同為同性戀，19.9%有人類免疫缺乏病毒(HIV)感染史。約有一半的填答者對於猴痘的認識不足，且在疾病的診斷與治療方面理解最為薄弱。具有醫學相關背景、較高教育程度和HIV病史者是高風險族群對猴痘認知差異的顯著相關因素。

結論：本研究呈現了台灣猴痘疫苗接種者對於猴痘的認知狀況，並探討了認知差異的相關因素，突顯出未來需要加強的衛教重點。

 

Purpose: The global outbreak of monkeypox in 2022 underscored the crucial importance of enhancing public awareness and understanding of the disease. This study aimed to examine the epidemiological profiles of high-risk individuals seeking pre-exposure vaccination in Taiwan and assess the public’s knowledge of the disease.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted online from May to June 2023, focusing on high-risk recipients of monkeypox pre-exposure vaccination at a medical center in Taiwan. The questionnaire comprised 30 items covering six aspects and explanatory variables. Unpaired Student’s t-tests and chi-square tests were used to compare the sociodemographic variables and stratified age groups for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Factors influencing monkeypox knowledge were identified using multivariate logistic regression.

Results: Among 2,604 participants, 97.3% were male, 76.4% self-identified as homosexual, and 19.9% had a history of HIV infection. Approximately half of the participants displayed inadequate knowledge of monkeypox, particularly in areas related to diagnosis and treatment. Multivariate logistic model showed that participants with a medical background, a higher education level, and a history of HIV infection had better knowledge, even after adjusting for potential confounders.

Conclusion: This study investigates the knowledge of monkeypox among high-risk individuals receiving pre-exposure vaccination in Taiwan and identifies possible factors influencing their understanding, highlighting key areas for strengthening future educational interventions.