Assessment of the Practice of Radiation Safety Principles among Radiological Professionals in Mongolia

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the association between the practice of radiation safety principles (PRSP) and participation in radiation safety refresher courses among Mongolian radiology professionals. Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The questionnaire was distributed to 250 participants, and 156 questionnaires were analyzed. Results: Only 59.6 ％ of radiologists and 59.8 ％ of technicians used lead aprons regularly. Less than half of the professionals tried to minimize the time of the procedure (28.8 ％ and 28.3 ％ ) and to distance themselves from the X-ray source (42.9 ％ and 37.0 ％ ). The professionals who participated in radiation safety refresher courses had practiced the safety principles better than those who had not ( p ＝ 0.028). Conclusion: In Mongolia, many radiology professionals did not practice proper radiation protection, but participation in radiation safety refresher courses was effective. Besides the importance of personal protective equipment supplies, fur ther education and training for radiation safety for the professionals are required.