Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41029767›Full record

ArticleGlobal health research and policy2025

Can social support improve Mpox care-seeking among men who have sex with men through stigma reduction: a chain mediation analysis from China.

Xin Ge, Yujie Liu, Shangbin Liu, Shunyu Tao, Chen Xu, Birong Wu, Ying Wang, Jiechen Zhang, Yong Cai

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Article in Global health research and policy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

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5citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Xin Ge *Public Health Research Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.1111, Xianxia Road, Shanghai, 200336, China.
Yujie Liu *Public Health Research Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.1111, Xianxia Road, Shanghai, 200336, China.
Shangbin LiuPublic Health Research Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.1111, Xianxia Road, Shanghai, 200336, China.
Shunyu TaoPublic Health Research Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.1111, Xianxia Road, Shanghai, 200336, China.
Chen XuPublic Health Research Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.1111, Xianxia Road, Shanghai, 200336, China.
Birong WuPublic Health Research Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.1111, Xianxia Road, Shanghai, 200336, China.
Ying WangPublic Health Research Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.1111, Xianxia Road, Shanghai, 200336, China. yingwangxun@163.com.
Jiechen ZhangDermatology Department, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China. zhangjiechen06@163.com.
Yong CaiPublic Health Research Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.1111, Xianxia Road, Shanghai, 200336, China. caiyong202028@hotmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3280-388X

Funding

Changning District Medical and Health Research Special Project CNKW2022Y08cience and Technology Commission Shanghai Municipality for the Seroepidemiological Study of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia in Key Populations No. 20JC1410204Development and Clinical Application of a Multimodal Early Warning Model for Neurological Syphilis and Associated Paralytic Dementia AF7320007Development and Clinical Application of a Multimodal Early Warning Model for Neurological Syphilis and Associated Paralytic Dementia YG2025ZD29Key discipline projects of Shanghai Three-Year Action Plan for Public Health under Grant GWVI-11.1-29National health commission of the PRC Grant No. Z155080000004Public Health Research Project from Shanghai Disease Control and Prevention Administration 2024GKM30the Research Fund of Shanghai Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine TRYJ2022LC10the Research Fund of Shanghai Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine TRYJ2024LC13
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMonkeypox (mpox) has emerged as a global public health concern, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM). Stigma limits access to care, and the role of social support in shaping care-seeking through psychosocial mechanisms remains unclear. This study examined whether social support influences care-seeking intentions via stigma and perceived healthcare benefits among MSM in China.

methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2023 to March 2024 across 6 provinces in China. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Spearman correlations, and logistic regression were performed to explore associations between HBM-related constructs and healthcare-seeking intentions. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the direct and indirect effects of social support via stigma and perceived healthcare benefits.

resultsAmong participants, 83.4% expressed an intention to seek healthcare for mpox. Directly, social support was positively associated with healthcare-seeking intention (β = 0.274, p < 0.001). Indirectly, social support affected healthcare-seeking intention through two pathways: (1) by reducing stigma (β = -0.108, p < 0.001), which in turn enhanced perceived healthcare benefits (β = -0.663, p < 0.001), ultimately increasing healthcare-seeking intention (chain effect β = 0.033, p = 0.005); and (2) directly enhancing perceived healthcare benefits (β = 0.091, p < 0.001), thereby increasing healthcare-seeking intention (β = 0.231, p < 0.001; indirect effect β = 0.042, p = 0.005). The total indirect effect accounted for 22.6% of the total effect.

conclusionsSocial support enhances mpox care-seeking intention among MSM in China by reducing stigma and improving perceptions of privacy, affordability, and treatment efficacy. Integrated interventions-combining peer support, stigma reduction, and privacy protection-are needed to foster early health engagement.

Indexed as

Homosexuality, MaleMpox, MonkeypoxPatient Acceptance of Health CareSocial StigmaSocial SupportAdultChinaCross-Sectional StudiesHumansMaleMediation AnalysisMiddle AgedYoung AdultHealthcare-seeking intentionMpoxMSMPublic health policySocial supportStigma

Identifiers

PMID41029767
PMCPMC12486528

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LicenceCC BY
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.