A study of student awareness of radiation protection skills at jazan university

Objectives: To evaluate radiology students’ awareness of ionising radiation exposure and its related risks during common diagnostic imaging procedures, to evaluate students’ radiation protection knowledge for assessment of educational processes and clinical training. Materials & Methods: A total of 200 senior students at the Diagnostic Radiology Department were requested to complete a questionnaire consisting of 26 questions. The data were analysed using the statistical package for social sciences software (SPSS). Results: The response rate was 90.5% (181 students). Awareness level depended on student grade point average (GPA), age, and relevant courses attended in radiation. Gender and marital status did not predict awareness of radiation protection standards. Conclusion: Our results showed a general lack of knowledge regarding radiation protection for fourth level students, which slightly improved in the subsequent levels. Including specific courses of radiation protection for medical and dental students is highly recommended. Such courses will improve skills specific to professional handling of radioactivity as well as radiation awareness.