Comparative Analysis of Multiple Comparison Tests for Radiation Exposure Subgroups Among Dental Workers At Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto, Nigeria

Post-hoc analysis is a crucial statistical technique employed to identify specific group differences following a significant ANOVA result. This study delves into the comparative analysis of three commonly used post-hoc tests - Tukey's HSD, LSD, and Scheffe's method - to determine significant differences in radiation exposure levels among dental workers at Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria. Dental professionals are routinely exposed to ionizing radiation, primarily from X-ray machines. Excessive exposure can lead to various health risks, including cancer. Hence, accurate assessment and comparison of radiation exposure levels among different categories of dental workers are essential for effective radiation protection measures. In this study, the researchers calculated the critical values for each post-hoc test at a significance level of 0.05. The results indicated that the LSD method had the smallest critical value (0.674), followed by Tukey's HSD (1.304) and Scheffe's method (1.566). A lower critical value generally implies a higher sensitivity in detecting significant differences between groups. By conducting pairwise comparisons, the study found that the LSD method was the most effective in identifying statistically significant differences in radiation exposure levels among the dental workers. This suggests that the LSD method is a suitable choice for post-hoc analysis in this specific context. The findings of this study have significant implications for radiation protection practices in dental settings. By employing appropriate post-hoc analysis methods, healthcare institutions can accurately assess radiation exposure risks and implement targeted interventions to minimize exposure and protect the health of dental workers.