Article Details

Misunderstandings of radiation risks, often fuelled by media reports and historical nuclear incidents, may lead to patient anxiety and refusal of medically necessary imaging. Comparative dose explanations, such as relating an examination to background radiation or to chest X-ray equivalents, can help bridge this gap. Radiographers are well positioned to engage with the public, yet their awareness and use of these strategies in Maiduguri, Nigeria, are unclear. This descriptive cross-sectional study assessed and compared the awareness of comparative radiation doses among radiography students and clinical radiographers in Maiduguri, evaluated their communication skills, and identified challenges affecting public engagement. A self-administered questionnaire, with face validity assessed by the research supervisor, covered demographics, comparative dose awareness, public engagement practices and perceived challenges among 216 participants (136 students and 80 radiographers), and the data were analysed using descriptive statistics. While 85.6% were aware of comparative dose concepts, accurate knowledge was limited: only 38.9%, 25.5% and 24.1% correctly identified the dose equivalents for an adult abdominal CT, a paediatric head CT and an intravenous urogram, respectively. Most participants (71.3%) rated public education as very important, but only 41.7% used comparative dose explanations in practice. Reported barriers included inadequate training (60.6%), limited communication skills (51.4%) and fear of causing panic (44.4%), and non-users showed strong interest (84.9%) in learning the approach. Although awareness is high, knowledge gaps and limited application persist. Integrating structured training on comparative dose communication into radiography curricula and continuing professional development can empower radiographers to educate the public effectively and promote informed decision-making.