Assessment of awareness and attitude towards radiation hazards and safety in the general population

Background: Dental radiologists, technicians, and other personnel understand the significance of radiation risks and, consequently, patient safety. It is equally important to know the understanding of patients visiting the hospital,which will assist in identifying gaps in patient education. Methods: Patients (n=300) visiting the outpatient department were given a pre-validated questionnaire form, which consisted of 17 questions distributed separately in order to assess awareness and attitude. The responses collected were statistically analysed. Results: Patients who are literate and have fairly good socioeconomic status are expected to be more aware and concerned about their attitude towards radiation safety and hazards, although fewer illiterate people are also expected to be equally aware and concerned. Conclusions: Despite many efforts by authorities, there seems to be a need to spread more awareness about radiation safety and hazards among the general population, irrespective of their background characteristics and educational status, and thus improve their attitude towards the same.