Abstract Objective This study aimed to explore mothers’ knowledge, attitudes, practices, and anxiety toward Mpox outbreaks in Egyptian children. Design This cross-sectional study, involving 612 mothers selected via convenience sampling, was conducted in pediatric outpatient clinics in Beni Suef City and Tanta City, Egypt, representing both Upper and Lower Egypt. A structured interview questionnaire in plain Arabic was used to collect data on knowledge, attitudes, self-reported practices, and anxiety related to Mpox. Results A total of 58.3% of participants demonstrated unsatisfactory knowledge about Mpox, while 61.8% exhibited competent self-reported practices. Furthermore, over half, 56.7% of the mothers surveyed held unfavorable attitudes, and 54.4% experienced mild to moderate levels of anxiety towards Mpox. Knowledge and practices were higher among mothers with higher levels of education and urban residence ( p < 0.001). A highly statistically significant positive correlation was also observed between the mothers’ total knowledge, overall attitudes, and total self-reported practices regarding Mpox ( p < 0.000). Conclusions Despite demonstrating reasonable hygiene-related practices, Egyptian mothers demonstrate suboptimal Mpox-specific knowledge and a cautious attitude. Ongoing targeted educational initiatives for mothers, whether in hospitals or through media platforms, are essential to enhance their understanding and disease-specific preventive behaviors concerning Mpox.
Mohamed et al. (2026) studied this question.