2026
7
13
Awareness of and Compliance with the ALARA Principle among Radiography Students in Selected Universities in Southern Nigeria: A Cross-sectional Survey
Authors
Anochiri Detuchukwuire Precious, Ugwuanyi Makuochukwu Samuel,*, Obi Kingsley Echendu
Publication Information
Volume:
1
Pages:
17
Submitted:
October 24, 2026
Status:
Pending
Abstract
Background: The As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) principle underpins radiation protection, and radiography students apply it during clinical postings, yet little is known about their awareness of and compliance with it in Nigeria. Objective: To assess awareness of the ALARA principle, self-reported application of protective measures and compliance with radiation safety rules, perceived barriers, and differences between universities among radiography students. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional survey used a structured four-point Likert questionnaire completed by 100 radiography students who had attended clinical postings at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO, n = 47), Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK, n = 31) and the University of Calabar (UNICAL, n = 22). Data were summarized as frequencies, mean scores and 95% confidence intervals, and analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman’s correlation (significance, p < 0.05). Results: Most respondents were female (65%), aged 21-25 years (76%) and in 400 level (53%); 62% had less than six months of clinical experience. The overall awareness mean was 3.76, and the overall mean for application of protective measures and compliance was 3.64, with the lowest score for use of lead aprons (3.34; 80% agreement, 95% CI 71.1-86.7). Inadequate teaching (99% agreement), lack of protective equipment (97%) and poor supervision (96%) had the highest barrier scores. Awareness and compliance differed significantly between universities (Kruskal-Wallis H = 14.596, p = 0.001 and H = 10.785, p = 0.005; UNIZIK had the lowest scores) and were positively correlated (rs = 0.663, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Radiography students in these universities reported high awareness of and compliance with ALARA, but all data were self-reported and may overstate actual practice. Strengthening practical teaching, supervision, equipment availability and monitoring is recommended, and future studies should include knowledge tests and direct observation.
