Occupational Physicians’ Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Occupational Health: A Cross-Sectional Study in Egypt

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess Egyptian occupational physicians' knowledge and attitudes regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI) in occupational health and factors associated with them. METHODS: A cross- sectional study was conducted among 127 occupational physicians, conveniently selected from six Egyptian universities, using structured online questionnaire on demographics, professional experience, and AI-related knowledge and attitudes. Logistic regression was used to identify independently associated factors with both outcomes. RESULTS: 61.4% of participants had poor knowledge, 74.0% reported positive attitudes, and 31.5% perceived AI as a threat. Attendance at AI webinars or courses (AOR=11.13; 95% CI:2.7-46.9) and longer work experience (AOR=1.16; 95% CI:1.01-1.34) were independently associated with good knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: Positive attitudes coexist with knowledge gap; structured education and training are needed for effective AI integration in occupational health. Findings should be interpreted considering non-random sampling and self-reported measures.