272 W . Ageeli et al .: Radioprotection 2024 , 59 ( 4 ), 270 – 277
data frequencies and percentages were employed to assess participants ’ awareness and knowledge relative to other available data . Descriptive statistical analyses were executed using Microsoft Excel .
3 Results
3.1 Demographic characteristics
The demographic characteristics of the study participants revealed a predominant presence of males , constituting the majority with 77 % ( n = 63 ) of the total sample . Students ’ distribution across academic years varied , with the fourth year being the most frequently reported ( 25 %, n = 19 ), followed by the fifth year ( 19 %, n = 15 ). Additionally , Different ages of participants were enrolled in this study , 39 % were between the age of 21 – 23 yr , 31 % were between the age of 18 – 20 yr , 24 % were between the ages of 24 and 26 and 6 % of the study participants were above the age of 26 yr , as depicted in Table 1 .
Participants were surveyed on their knowledge of the adverse effects of dental X-rays and radiation safety concepts , including the ALARA principle and the use of collimators and filters . Their understanding of technical radiation protection , such as personal monitoring badges , lead aprons , lead barriers , and shielding in X-ray rooms , was also assessed . This section sets the stage for a detailed analysis of results and provides a comprehensive view of participants ’ awareness of radiation in dental imaging .
3.2 Knowledge and awareness regarding radiation
Most of the respondents ( 91 %) agreed that the dental x-ray is harmful . More than half of the respondents were aware of deterministic and stochastic effects and the usefulness of Collimators and filters in dental radiography ( 52 % and 60 %) respectively . The National Council of Radiation Protection and the International Commission of Radiation Protection were known to about 83 % of the participants . Moreover , the majority of the students ( 90 %) were aware of the ALARA principle . Nearly 90 % of the participants were aware of particular situations such as pregnant women and children who are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of radiation . More than half of the students ( 63 %) reported that they were aware of the personal monitoring badges and their function and role in radiation protection . Many of the participants ( 79 %) were aware of the radiation protection instruments that could be used during radiation exposure and 79 % of them were using a lead apron for patients . Also , 85 % of the students were standing behind a lead barrier during exposure . In addition , the Person ’ s Chi-square test with Yates ’ continuity correlation between the awareness level of deterministic and stochastic effects and academic year was 69 % were aware of the radiation shielding in X-ray rooms . The respondent ’ s knowledge concerning the most important organ to protect during dental radiography was divided , but the majority ( 86 %) reported the thyroid . In addition , 79 % were aware that DNA is the critical target for radiation , and 73 % were aware of the lethal whole-body dose of 3-5 Gy received ; however , a notable percentage of respondents still showed gaps in understanding other critical aspects of radiation exposure and safety measures . Most of the participants ( 90 %) were aware that
Table 1 . The sociodemographic data . Sociodemographic data Number , percentage (%)
Gender |
Male |
( 63 , 77 %) |
Female |
( 19 , 23 %) |
Age |
18-20 |
( 25 , 31 %) |
21-23 |
( 32 , 39 %) |
24-26 |
( 20 , 24 %) |
> 26 |
( 5 , 6 %) |
Current year of study |
1 st year |
( 11 . 13 %) |
2 nd year |
( 11 , 13 %) |
3 rd year |
( 8 , 10 %) |
4 th year |
( 19 , 25 %) |
5 th year |
( 13 , 15 %) |
6 th year |
( 11 , 13 %) |
Internship ( Graduated ) |
( 9 , 11 %) |
No = Number , 2 = Pearson chi-square , p = p-value (< 0.05 ).
extra-oral radiological techniques may deliver more radiation compared to intra-oral techniques .
The results of the statistical analysis for various questions related to radiation protection awareness and practices among participants , categorized by year classification , are presented in this section .
Data analysis was conducted using chi-square tests in SPSS . The data were categorized based on the students ’ academic year specifically , before and after taking radiation protection modules and after their third year . Overall , the study provides valuable insights into the awareness and practices related to radiation protection among participants based on their year classification , with significant associations observed in certain aspects of knowledge . Significant statistical differences were observed in the awareness level of deterministic and stochastic effects among dental students in relation to academic year levels ( x 2 = 12.187 , df = 2 , p = < 0.001 ). Furthermore , a statistically significant difference was detected regarding radiation shielding in X-ray rooms ( x 2 = 9.495 , df = 2 , p = < 0.005 ). The overall awareness of these two factors is illustrated in Figure 1 .
Overall , the study findings suggest that the use of personal monitoring badges , lead aprons for patients , and standing behind lead barriers during exposure are consistent practices among participants , regardless of their year classification . These results underscore the importance of maintaining radiation safety measures in dental radiography , ensuring the protection of both operators and patients . The study found that , for most of the assessed radiation-related knowledge and awareness questions , there were no statistically significant differences based on participants ’ year classification as summarized in Table 2 . This study revealed several interesting findings related to radiation protection awareness and knowledge among participants . Gender was found to be a significant factor in certain aspects , such as awareness of NCRP and ICRP recommendations ( x 2 = 7.965 , df = 1 , p = 0.005 ), awareness of the ALARA principle ( x 2 = 9.821 ,