Parents’ Received and Expected Information About Their Child’s Radiation Exposure During Radiographic Examinations in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Background There is growing concern in the medical community that patients receive little or no information regarding scheduled exams and radiation. Healthcare providers did not initiate discussions about the benefits and risks of radiation from imaging tests, and most patients and parents obtained information by means of self-directed internet searches. Aim and objectives This study aimed to evaluate parents' awareness of radiation hazards and their experiences with the information they received from the referrer prior to their child's radiographic examination in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study included 492 parents of children who underwent radiological procedures. A self-administered survey designed and structured by researchers that was distributed to the participants online on different social media platforms, including WhatsApp (California, USA), Twitter (California, USA), and Telegram (Dubai, UAE), included questions about sociodemographic characteristics such as age, gender, and region. Furthermore, it included questions to assess the received information about the purpose and the dose of radiation. Results A total of 410 respondents completed the study questionnaire. Respondents' ages ranged from 19 to 65 years, with a mean age of 27.2 ± 13.9 years. The most reported source of information was healthcare staff (36.3%), followed by referral physicians (17.3%). Half of them (50.5%) reported that they received radiation information orally, while 27.6% received radiation information both orally and in written format. More than half (53.2%) of the respondents believed that scans expose their child to radiation. Only 7.8% of parents had overall good awareness regarding radiation exposure and its health-related effects on their children, while 92.2% of parents had a poor awareness level. A total of 40.3% of the parents think that they have sufficient information about the purpose of radiation, while 26.8% think that they have sufficient information about radiation dose. Conclusion The awareness level of parents about radiation hazards and health-related issues among children is very poor. Health personnel should thoroughly explain both risks and benefits of radiation before diagnostic procedures, either orally or in written format. In addition, community education programs should be held to raise the level of population awareness.