Perceptions on radioprotective garment usage and underlying reasons for non-adherence among medical radiation workers from public hospitals in a middle-income Asian setting: A qualitative exploration

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of lead aprons among dental practitioners and specialists

In dentistry, radiographs are often used to diagnose and assess problems relating to oral conditions as well as for better treatment planning. Even though the radiation risk offered by X-rays is minimal, the absorption of this lower level radiation in the individual for a long time challenges a health concern. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of lead aprons among dental practitioners and specialists in Tamil Nadu. A cross-sectional survey was performed around 100 dentists in Tamil Nadu, India, by framing standard questionnaires and collecting responses by online survey forms such as "Google Forms." The statistical study was undertaken with SPSS version 22 and the Chi-square test was selected to determine the correlation. This study showed that lead aprons were regularly used by 63% of participants during radiation exposure. Thirty percent of participants were aware of radiation protection protocol but neglected to use lead aprons routinely (P = 0.113). About 91% of participants gave more preference for thyroid gland to protect it from dental radiation rather than other head-and-neck organs and 82% of them were using thyroid collars for patients during exposure (P = 0.671). Our survey shows that the usage of lead aprons is practiced strictly by dental practitioners under <5 years of clinical experience. However, dental practitioners and specialists were aware of radiation protective aprons but often neglected to use them in practice.

Evaluating the physical, psychosocial and ergonomic burden of lead aprons among Jordanian interventionists: a nationwide study

Objectives. This study assessed the physical and psychological burden of lead apron use on Jordanian interventionists and investigated the attitudes and knowledge of interventional personnel toward ergonomic guidelines and practices. Methods. A cross-sectional investigation of a randomly sampled Jordanian cohort of interventional personnel was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire.

Results. A nationwide sample of 130 practitioners with a mean 9.3 ± 8.1 years of experience in interventional procedures participated. Practitioners were aware of their apron's weight but not of its lead equivalence (71.5%). More than 60% of respondents complained of back pain. While 66.9% did not develop musculoskeletal pathologies, 64.3% of those with already established musculoskeletal pathologies experienced worse pain due to apron usage. Despite believing in the effect of lead aprons on muscular strain and work performance, 78.5% adhere to its usage. In terms of ergonomics, only 39.2% were aware of ergonomic guidelines; however, 90.0% believe that ergonomic practices are essential as 49.2% have experienced discomfort due to bad ergonomics. In terms of psychological burden, anxiety and depression were suggested in 16.4 and 21.6% of the sample.

Conclusion. Jordanian interventionists portray positive attitudes toward lead aprons; nevertheless, their awareness of ergonomic practices warrants the implementation of evidenced-based interventions.

Assessment of Health Professionals' Attitudes on Radiation Protection Measures

(1) Background: Health professionals' knowledge, beliefs and perceptions concerning radiation protection may affect their behaviour during surgery and consequently influence the quality of health services. This study highlights the health professionals' average knowledge level and captures the beliefs, perceptions, and behaviours in a large public Greek hospital. (2) Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out, including health professionals working in operating rooms. One hundred thirty-two staff members participated by responding to an original questionnaire. The sample consisted of nurses, radiographers and medical doctors of various specialties involved daily in surgical procedures where ionizing radiation is required. The survey was conducted from March to June 2021, and the response rate was 97%. (3) Results: The level of overall knowledge of health professionals regarding radiation protection safety was not satisfactory. Females and employees with a lower level of education had more misconceptions about radiation and radiation protection. Employees of younger ages and with less previous experience were more likely to have negative emotions towards radiation exposure. Finally, employees with fewer children tended to express physical complaints caused by their negative emotions due to radiation exposure. (4) Conclusions: Health professionals' lack of basic and specialized knowledge concerning radiation protection safety had a negative impact on the provision of health services. The continuing training of the staff seemed to be the only solution to reverse this trend. The training should highlight how radiation exposure can be minimized, safeguarding health professionals' trust and sense of security by significantly improving their working environment.

Beliefs, Facilitating Factors, and Barriers in Using Personal Dosimeter among Medical Radiation Workers in a Middle-Income Asian Setting

This qualitative study explores the medical radiation workers' (MRWs) beliefs with the support of the theory of planned behaviour's constructs regarding the use of personal dosimeters in order to identify the facilitating factors and barriers to practising good personal dose monitoring. The exploration was conducted through semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 63 MRWs from the public, private, and university hospitals. Belief statements from the informants were organized under the behavioural, normative, and control belief, as guided by the theory. A thematic analysis found that a majority of informants acknowledged the benefits of using dosimeters. However, several factors influenced the actual usage. The informants were hesitant to use the dosimeter as the loss of the device involved an expensive penalty. They also mentioned that delayed dosimeter supplies due to late budget approval in the hospitals and some other reasons had got them disconnected from the monitoring system. The workers' attitudes and social norms highly induced their dosimeter usage as well; some perceived themselves to be at low risk for high exposure to radiation, and forgetfulness was also mentioned as a reason for lack of adherence. Device physical factor influenced low dosimeter use too. This study highlighted some unique findings in Asian settings. A better understanding of the underlying reasons for the lack of dosimeter use will be useful in developing strategies to increase good practices in personal radiation monitoring.