Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward Acupuncture Among Patients with Knee Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding acupuncture among patients experiencing knee pain.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted at Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from November 9, 2022, to December 27, 2024. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire designed to assess participants' demographic information and their KAP related to acupuncture.

A total of 337 valid responses were obtained. Of these, 235 respondents (69.73%) were female, and 271 (80.42%) reported living in urban areas. Additionally, 160 participants (47.48%) resided within a 5-kilometer radius of the hospital. The knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 5.87±2.43 (possible range: 0-12), 34.49±4.56 (possible range: 10-50), and 16.75±3.75 (possible range: 13-65), respectively. The structural equation modeling (SEM) results showed that knowledge directly affected attitude (β = 0.634, P = 0.004) and practice (β = 0.255, P = 0.023), attitude directly affected practice (β = 0.520, P = 0.019), and knowledge also indirectly affected practice through attitude (β = 0.330, P = 0.012).

Patients with knee pain exhibited limited knowledge, moderately positive attitudes, and low engagement in acupuncture practices. The SEM results demonstrated that knowledge significantly influenced both attitude and practice. These findings underscore the necessity for targeted educational interventions to improve patient understanding and encourage the active use of acupuncture in managing knee pain. These conclusions are most applicable in China.