Knowledge and attitude of general practitioners regarding patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in an endemic focus in Iran: a cross-sectional study

General practitioners in endemic areas of leishmaniasis should be well-informed about the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. The application of the knowledge and attitude questionnaire can assist Health System decision-makers in identifying the gaps in the medical professional’s knowledge and attitude regarding this disease.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019 and focused on 132 general practitioners working in Shiraz, which is one of the major endemic cutaneous leishmaniasis centers in the south of Iran. At first, the validity and reliability of the questionnaire were checked by ten experts, and after their final approval, the questionnaire was distributed to the participants. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22.

The mean age of the subjects was 43.15 years (43.15 ± 8.37), and 79 participants (59.8 %) were women. 116 general practitioners were graduated from governmental universities (87.9 %). The majority of the physicians with a frequency of 120 participants (90.9 %) had no free study about leishmaniasis, and 119 participants had completed the dermatology course during their education (90.2 %). The average score for participants’ level of attitude was 10.96, with a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 16. The average score for participants’ level of knowledge was 11.58, with a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 17.

The findings of the present study indicated that the level of knowledge and attitude of general practitioners regarding this disease were inadequate and very weak. Therefore, providing retraining courses and educational workshops on cutaneous leishmaniasis is very important.