Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) regarding tick-borne rickettsial disease among medical staff in endemic areas of China

Tick-borne rickettsial disease (TBRD) is a perilous acute infection that often eludes diagnosis in its early stages. The triad of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) among medical professionals is key to reducing missed diagnosis rates. Therefore, a meticulous evaluation of KAPs is imperative. This study aimed to delve into the understanding of TBRD and explore the beliefs and practices related to personal prevention methods among individuals in Lu ' an, a hotspot for TBRD. During the summer months of 2023, convenience sampling was employed by circulating a con fi dential questionnaire to 1,206 participants in the endemic regions of China. This questionnaire painted a comprehensive picture of the participants ' sociodemographic pro fi les and their KAPs levels vis-& agrave;-vis TBRD. The fi ndings revealed that participants scored a mere 55.78% in knowledge, while their attitudes and practices garnered impressive scores of 90.09% and 90.83%, respectively. Upon further analysis using multiple linear regression, several intriguing patterns emerged. Male participants, employed in the Infectious Disease Department, held vice-senior or higher titles, or had prior medical training demonstrated superior knowledge scores. On the other hand, medical personnel who were younger than 30, possessed graduate degrees or higher quali fi cations, and had training excelled in attitudes and practices. Notably, when employing the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix, a signi fi cant distribution of medical personnel was observed across the four quadrants. Speci fi cally, 37.43%, 13.19%, 19.61%, and 29.77% fell into the fi rst, second, third, and fourth quadrants. This survey underscores the commendable attitudes and practices of medical staff towards TBRD in endemic regions of China. However, their knowledge level remains wanting and demands urgent improvement.