INVESTIGATING THE KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF RADIATION EXPOSURE AND SAFETY PRACTICES AMONG PATIENTS UNDERGOING MEDICAL IMAGING IN IBADAN

TOPIC IS SUITABLE FOR:

1-Department of Radiography

2-Department of Medical Radiography and Radiological Sciences

3-Department of Nursing Science

4-Department of Public Health

TOPIC: INVESTIGATING THE KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF RADIATION EXPOSURE AND SAFETY PRACTICES AMONG PATIENTS UNDERGOING MEDICAL IMAGING IN IBADAN

TABLE OF CONTENT

Abstract

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study  

1.2 Statement of the Problem  

1.3 Research Objectives  

1.4 Research Questions  

1.5 Significance of the Study  

1.6 Scope of the Study

1.7 Justification of Study

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms  

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE  

2.0 Introduction

2.1 Conceptual Review  

2.2 Theoretical Framework/Review   

2.3 Empirical Review

2.4 Conceptual Framework (Model)

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction

3.1 Research Design  

3.2  Study Setting

3.3 Population of the Study

3.4 Sampling Technique and Sample Size  

3.5 Research Instrument  

3.6 Validity and Reliability of the Instrument  

3.7 Method of Data Collection

3.8 Method of Data Analysis  

3.9 Ethical Considerations

3.10 Limitation of Study

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS  

4.1 Data Presentation and Analysis

4.2 Discussion of Findings  

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS  

5.0 Introduction

5.1 Summary of Findings  

5.2 Conclusion  

5.3 Recommendations  

5.4 Suggestions for Further Research

References

Appendix

ABSTRACT

The research was conducted to examine the Knowledge and Awareness of Radiation Exposure and Safety Practices by Patients undergoing medical imaging in Two Hospitals in Ibadan (Police Hospital and University College Hospital). In particular, the goals were to estimate how much patients know about radiation exposure, how much they know about the risks to health related to radiation, how much they know about safety precautions when undergoing medical imagining, and what were the most influential factors affecting their knowledge and awareness. The research design used in the study was descriptive survey research design. The population was about 25,000 patients that received imaging services in the two hospitals per year. According to the formula of Taro Yamane, a sample size of 394 was calculated and 374 responses were retrieved and validated to analyze. The simple random sampling was employed to enable the patients to have equal opportunities of participation. The information was gathered by means of a structured questionnaire that was founded on a 5-point Likert scale and confirmed by expert review and pilot testing which had a reliability coefficient of 0.78. Descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and tabular presentations were used in the analysis of data. It was observed that 212 of the 374 respondents strongly agreed that they were knowledgeable about the fundamentals of radiation exposure, 227 knew about the health hazards, 218 possessed elementary knowledge of safety precautions and 248 agreed that education level impacted on their awareness. Based on these results, the study suggested the implementation of a structured pre-imaging patient education in hospitals, better health communication by the radiology personnel, and better access to education materials in radiology units available in multiple languages. It also concurred with the idea that national policy support is important to maintain constant patient participation towards radiation safety in all healthcare institutions.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION (Preview)

1.1 Background of the Study

 Radiation medical imaging has become even more significant in current medical practice, improving the accuracy of diagnosis extensively and enabling medical personnel to perform clinical interventions within a timely manner, worldwide. X-rays, computed tomography (CT), and nuclear medicine are now an indispensable aid in the evaluation of various medical conditions, ranging as they do through traumatic injuries at one extreme to chronic illnesses at the other. However, even these processes require ionizing radiations and this is something that has led to a lot of concern among people globally as to the effect of this on human health, especially in cases where the patients are not adequately informed or made to be aware of dangers involved. In that respect, Frane, Bitterman, and Salam (2023) observe that the radiation is irreplaceable in diagnostic medicine but still requires a close attention to its biological hazards. Marengo, Martin, Rubow, Sera, Amador, and Torres (2021) also emphasize the fact that with the growth in the application of diagnostic radiology, patient education on the risks of radiation exposure and its safety should become a core component of ethical and effective healthcare practice. In turn, these developments in the field around the globe highlight the increasing importance of patient knowledge and awareness regarding radiation use and safety.

In recent studies, there has been an insistence that the patients be treated as informed subjects of decisions on ionizing radiation especially in medical imaging. According to the findings of the recent studies, most patients do not have a clear understanding of the nature and consequences of radiation when undergoing diagnostic tests (Alhaji, Tijjani, Bulakarima, & Kachallah, 2023; Salam, Mehsood, Uddin, Uddin, Jamal, & Ullah, 2025). Paulinus, Udoh, Archibong, Egong, Erim, Ukpong, Ani, Ijever, Okoro, and Agbo (2023) agree that knowledge empowers patients to make informed consent, ask relevant questions, and make appropriate health choices. Allam, Algany, and Khider (2024) also agree that a patient who is aware of such procedures is more likely to adhere to the safety precautions and cooperate with medical specialists in order to perform a safe imaging. Based on this, the determination of the patient knowledge level is important to detect the areas of communication gaps and patient education gaps in radiology department.

Closely associated with the knowledge is awareness which is a perceptual understanding of the individual on the risks and safety procedure of the radiation. Social interactions, health messages that are used publicly, personal experience, and how well healthcare professionals are explaining things affect the awareness. Tesfaw, Dellie, Legesse, Gebremedhin, and Seid (2024) claim that increasing awareness among the patients is a critical step towards fostering the culture of safety in the practice of radiology. to support this claim, Uniyal (2024) notes that awareness enhances the ability of the patients to question, validate and even challenge unnecessary radiation procedures. Moreover, Salam et al. (2025) mention that the knowledge about the dangers of radiation plays an important role in the psychological preparation of patients and their cooperation in the course of diagnosis. This way, measurement of the level of awareness can give information of psychological and behavioral aspects of radiation safety.

Another crucial aspect of the discussion of radiation exposure is related to the incorporation of safety practices into the radiology procedures. The elements of safety include lead shielding, machine calibration, compliance with diagnostic reference levels and open disclosure of risks. This is to cut down on the unnecessary exposure without compromising the diagnostic quality of images. As Adejo (2023) notes, the implementation of the diagnostic reference levels in imaging would make sure that patients are exposed to the lowest dose possible to be able to be diagnosed correctly. Balogun, Nkubili, Afolabi, Ubaka, and Bello (2022) also point out that radiographers conduct interventions that involve communicating requirements of following safety protocols and ensuring that patients understand their importance. The more actively patients participate in the safety process, the more cooperative they become, and moreover, the general safety culture of the radiology department also elevates. Such knowledge and awareness are therefore vital to maximizing on safety practices during medical imaging.

Determining the aspects that influence the knowledge and awareness of a patient creates a different facet of this current discussion. Such factors might encompass socio demographic factors like age, sex, level of education, previous exposure to imaging procedure, and the communication with the medical personnel. Ibrahim (2024) testifies that the differences in knowledge of patients are usually explained by the differences in the quality of communication and interaction between radiology professionals and radiology. Umaru, Yusuf, Idris, and Hambali (2024) establish that the behavior of the staff, the policies in the given hospital, or the presence (or the lack of) structured educational materials have a direct impact on the way patients view radiation risks and the significance of protective measures. Also, Lawani, Edetanlen, and Ogbebor (2023) have confirmed that the targeted radiation education is a worthy investment in healthcare institutions as it leads to a sharp increase in patient awareness and the safety measures following. It is thus essential to examine how these variables interact in a particular institutional setting to establish their influence on the behavior of patients.

In this research, which takes place in the Nigerian setting, one sees the study in the context of two healthcare facilities in Ibadan, the Police Hospital and University College Hospital (UCH). Such facilities are of different levels of the healthcare system: UCH and Police Hospital are large centres of clinical care with teaching and research activities as significant priorities. According to Onwuzu, Abonyi, David, Ozioko, Umeugochukwu, Ugwu, and Onwuzu (2021), the institutional structure, knowledge of staff, and service-delivery models play a significant role in variation in patient experience and knowledge. The study will critically look at the level of knowledge and awareness in the two hospitals in order to have an in-depth picture of how the institutional settings affect the way patients relate to radiation safety. The inquiry is localized but aims at providing insight into the general conversation on patient-centered care and the risk communication of radiations, which adds substantiality to the developing discourse on the safety practices of diagnostic imaging in Nigeria.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The growing use of medical imaging in Nigerian health institutions has increased the fears of exposing patients to ionizing radiations especially in those centers where regular tests like X-ray and CT scans are conducted. Diagnostic radiation is still essential, but a large percentage of people undergoing imaging processes do this without taking proper knowledge regarding the actual risk involved or the protective mechanisms that they can use. According to Salam, Mehsood, Uddin, Uddin, Jamal, and Ullah (2025), most patients are also either not prepared against the risks or not taught the necessary precautionary measures; the same problems are highlighted by Tesfaw, Dellie, Legesse, Gebremedhin and Seid (2024), who show that most patients in African radiology departments do not get taught a lot of information about the radiation used or the overall effects of repeated exposure. The best way to go is to have patients who not only understand the need of diagnostic imaging procedures but also its dangers and what they need to do to provide protection against those dangers. Reality today is not doing enough though: very little time is spent on radiation safety education of the patients, particularly in settings of constrained resources.

Variations in patient awareness and knowledge across institutions are pronounced and often institutionally dependent on policy, communication among the staff and infrastructural ability. According to a study by Alhaji, Tijjani, Bulakarima, and Kachallah (2023), the level of awareness of radiation risk of the patients in the tertiary hospital was higher than the patients in the secondary care facilities, which points to an institutional ability disparity. Similarly, Allam, Algany, and Khider (2024) noted that the institutions that cannot follow standard protocols in terms of safety and do not implement educational campaigns have a higher tendency of working with less knowledgeable patients, which increases the risks of radiation-related problems. The situation is worse in non-teaching hospitals as in the case of police hospital in Ibadan where the provision of radiation education is minimal relative to that of University college Hospital (UCH) which has a more substantive academic and clinical orientation. Such differences illustrate the distance between current practices and the standards and emphasize the struggling to meet the radiation protection under the informed patient involvement, a factor that is crucial to an overall radiological care.

Even though many studies touch upon the topic of radiation safety in the clinical setting, the understanding and perception of radiation exposure by patients are examined in the Nigerian context very poorly. Past studies have focused on the conformity of the professionals and technical aspects of the radioprotection (Balogun, Nkubili, Afolabi, Ubaka, & Bello, 2022; Ibrahim, 2024), but they have not considered this topic in terms of patient awareness. The paper fills that gap by establishing the level at which the patients who are due to receive diagnostic imaging services at the two different institutions in Ibadan (Police Hospital and UCH) are informed about the risks of radiation and the safety precautions in place. By comparing experiences and level of knowledge in these facilities, the institutional gaps will be clarified and evidence-based suggestions to elevate the level of patient-centered radiation safety that is sustainable across various levels of the healthcare system may be provided.

1.3 Research Objectives  

The main objective of this study is to investigate the knowledge and awareness of radiation exposure and safety practices among patients undergoing medical imaging in two hospitals in Ibadan(Police Hospital and University College Hospital). Specifically, the study aims to:

i.To assess the level of knowledge towards radiation exposure during medical imaging procedures among patients.

ii.To assess the awareness of the health risks associated with exposure to radiation during medical imaging among patients.

iii.To assess the knowledge level of patients towards safety measures during exposure to radiation.

iv.To identify the factors influencing the knowledge and awareness of the radiation exposure safety practices among patients.

OTHER PARTS OF CHAPTER ONE INCLUDE:

1.4 Research Questions

1.5 Significance of the Study  

1.6 Scope of the Study

1.7Justification of Study

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE (Preview)

This chapter critically examines relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and, furthermore, recognizes the efforts of scholars who have previously contributed to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps. This chapter, therefore, focuses on the concept of radiation exposure, the concept of radiation safety practices, knowledge and awareness of radiation exposure among patients, medical imaging procedures, and factors influencing patients’ knowledge and awareness of radiation safety. The chapter covers the following subheadings:

2.1 Conceptual Framework

2.2 Theoretical Framework

2.3 Empirical Review

2.4 Summary of Literature Review

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY  (Preview)

Research Design: The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey research design.

Population of the Study: The population of the study comprises patients who received medical imaging services at University College Hospital (UCH) and Police Hospital, Ibadan.

Sample Size Determination: The study adopted the Taro Yamane formula to determine a sample size of 394 participants.

Sampling Technique: The study employed a simple random sampling technique to select the individual respondents proportionally from both institutions.

Research Instrument: The study utilized a self-developed structured questionnaire as the instrument for data collection.

Methods of Data Analysis: The collected data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations to summarize and present the demographic characteristics of the respondents and their responses regarding radiation exposure knowledge, awareness, and safety practices.

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

MAJOR FINDINGS (Preview)

The analysis results were presented in tables. Based on the results obtained from the analysis, the following findings are made:

i. The study found that patients undergoing medical imaging at University College Hospital (UCH) and Police Hospital, Ibadan, generally had a fair level of knowledge regarding radiation exposure, as 278 respondents agreed or strongly agreed that radiation is used in most medical imaging procedures, while 267 respondents acknowledged its potential harmful effects. However, knowledge of radiation measurement units, radiation dose, and the difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation remained limited.

ii. The study found that patients had a relatively high level of awareness of the health risks associated with radiation exposure, as 262 respondents agreed or strongly agreed that repeated radiation exposure could increase health risks, while 262 recognized that radiation could increase the risk of cancer. However, some respondents demonstrated limited awareness of the vulnerability of children and pregnant women and the possible long-term health consequences of radiation exposure.

iii. The study found that patients had a moderate level of knowledge regarding radiation safety practices and protective measures during diagnostic imaging. A total of 250 respondents agreed or strongly agreed that protective shields, such as lead aprons, were used during imaging, while 255 acknowledged that imaging professionals take safety precautions. However, knowledge of exposure-time reduction and standard patient-protection procedures remained insufficient, indicating the need for improved patient education on radiation safety.

iv. The study found that educational background, previous medical imaging experience, communication by healthcare workers, availability of educational materials, and hospital information practices influenced patients’ knowledge and awareness of radiation exposure and safety practices. Specifically, 248 respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their educational level influenced their understanding, while 243 indicated that previous imaging experiences improved their awareness. However, gaps in communication and access to educational materials highlighted the need for improved patient education and more effective communication of radiation safety information.

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter covers the following outline:

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Summary of the Study

5.3 Conclusion

5.4 Recommendations

5.5 Suggestions for Further Studies

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