Radiation Safety Compliance in the Radiology Departments Across Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Assessment

Aim: This study assesses the degree of compliance with radiation safety and protection protocols among the healthcare workers in the radiology departments in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional survey conducted among healthcare workers in diagnostic imaging departments in government hospitals and health centers in Saudi Arabia. The structured questionnaire sections covering awareness of radiation safety, personal protective practices, and patient protection measures. A pilot study was conducted on 15 healthcare workers to ensure questionnaire reliability and clarity. The study included 450 healthcare workers employed in various medical diagnostic imaging departments for at least 1 year be eligible to participate. Descriptive statistics and multivariate linear regression (MLR) analyses were performed to identify predictors of compliance. Results: the majority of participants (67.6%) have a high awareness level and (44.4%) of participants fall into the high self-protection measures category, while 47.8% of participants have a high level of patient protection. 25% of participants reported non-using radioprotector garments because they are "too heavy" or "worsen back pain" . The multivariate linear regression (MLR) analysis revealed that participants with 6-10 years of radiology experience (B = 0.662, t = 2.814, p = 0.005) and more than 10 years of experience (B = 0.469, t = 1.981, p = 0.048) show significantly higher awareness levels compared to those with 1-5 years of experience. Regarding the self-protection measures MLR revealed that both the awareness total score (B = 0.384, t = 3.201, p = 0.001) and the patient protection total score (B = 0.364, t = 12.141, p < 0.001) are significant positive predictors of adoption of self-protection measures. Conclusion: Healthcare workers in Saudi Arabian radiology departments demonstrate good radiation safety knowledge, but gaps remain in consistently applying protective measures. Strengthening education and training is essential to improve compliance, reduce radiation exposure, and ensure a safer clinical environment.