Evaluation of the Status of Knowledge, Attitude, and Performance of Radiology Department Staff Regarding Radiation Safety Principles at Hospitals in the North and Northeast of Iran

Abstract

Purpose: Although ionizing radiation is useful in diagnosing various diseases, it can cause potential biological damage such as cancer, cataracts, and fetal damage for patients and staff working in radiology departments. Therefore, knowledge and practice about applying radiation protection principles are essential. This research investigates radiology personnel's knowledge, attitude, and performance regarding radiation protection in the north and northeast of Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using a 30-item questionnaire among 435 radiology personnel in North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, Golestan, and Mazandaran provinces. This questionnaire included questions related to demographic information and the level of knowledge, attitude, and performance of radiology personnel regarding radiation protection. Data was also analyzed using SPSS-19 software. Results: The participation rate of radiology personnel was 80.55%, and the mean and standard deviation of their knowledge, attitude, and performance regarding radiation protection were 45.9907 ± 1.294, 78.1531 ± 4.707, and 44.9368 ± 6.88, respectively. Based on the results of the study, there is no significant relationship between gender and knowledge (P = 0.781), attitude (P = 0.156), and performance of personnel (P = 0.87); however, a significant relationship was observed between education degree and attitude of personnel (P = 0.026), between working years and knowledge of personnel (P = 0.019), and also between job title and attitude of personnel (P = 0.003). Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that there is a significant relationship between education degree and attitude of personnel, working years, and knowledge of personnel, and also between job title and attitude of the personnel. According to these results, our population, both personnel and patients have relatively poor performance and poor knowledge about radiation safety principles. Therefore, formal training in the use of ionizing radiation equipment is necessary for radiation safety.