Knowledge Attitude and Practices Related on Ionizing Radiation Exposure of Women of Childbearing Age or Pregnant Women in Cameroon

The concern about ionizing radiation exposure of women of childbearing age or pregnant women is still relevant and CT scanning alone is a subject of interest as it is responsible for 58% of radiation exposure from medical x-rays. The objective of our survey was to evaluate the knowledge and practices of radiation protection of CT scan users in women of childbearing age in the city of Douala in Cameroun. This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study that was conducted over a period from October to December 2019, in two referral hospitals in the city of Douala. We interviewed 30 women of childbearing age, 15 medical imaging technicians, and 45 referring physicians. The majority of patients were relatively young with an average age of 33.3±9.6 years. The majority of the medical imaging technicians and the requesting physicians were young people (24 to 30 years old) with 40% and 44.4% respectively. The applicant physicians were mostly general practitioners (40%), and the average years of experience were 2.1±1.1 years. The level of knowledge of radiation protection of women of childbearing age, radiology technicians and requesting physicians was unsatisfactory with a rate of 25.5%, 48.1% and 48.6% respectively without influence of the level of education. At the end of our study, continuing education in radiation protection and the routine use of the guide to the proper use of imaging examinations were recommended.