Knowledge of medical staff about the principles of radiation protection in Bandar Abbas City

Introduction: Radiation has a negative biologic effect, which depends on the duration of exposure and dose. This study aimed to assess knowledge of the principles of radiation protection among medical staff in educational hospitals in Bandar Abbas University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 105 health workers who were exposed to radiation during 2018. The sample size was determined by Cochran's statistical formula. The sampling method was the census method. Our target group was all employees who used radiation as part of their work. Data gathering tool was a researcher-made demographic questionnaire and a checklist containing 21 radiation protection principles. To each correct answer, the score of 1 and each wrong answer was given a zero score. Data then analyzed using SPSS version 20 software, P-value<0.05 was considered as significant difference. Results: Based on the findings, the mean scores of the participants was 10.26, and the lowest and highest score were 6 and 16, respectively. Also, there was a significant relationship between education level, workplace, work experience, and continuing education with the level of knowledge of the principles of radiation protection (P-value<0.05). Conclusion: The average level of knowledge of the medical staff was related to the level of education and retraining courses. It is suggested that regular training courses on radiation protection should be held for all employees using radiation.