Health-related quality of life among radiology technicians in hospitals: a cross sectional study
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Abstract
Despite its potential impact on occupational well-being, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of radiology technicians remains underexplored.
Objective: This study aims to assess the HRQoL of radiology technicians and its association with sociodemographic and occupational variables.
Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted , involving 115 radiology technicians from three major hospitals . The questionnaire included items on sociodemographic characteristics, occupational factors, and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).
Results: The majority (94.8%) of technicians reported previous training in radiation protection, yet 92.2% expressed doubts about their knowledge in this area. Additionally, 47.8% reported infrequent use of radiation protection measures, and 55.7% lacked confidence in radiation exposure measurements. Multiple regression analysis indicated that older age, female gender, employment at a university hospital, and infrequent use of protection were associated with poorer HRQoL (p = 0.042 to 0.001). Conversely, working in interventional radiology and having confidence in radiation exposure measurements predicted better HRQoL (p = 0.006 to 0.001) across certain domains.
Conclusion: The study highlights a lack of confidence in radiation protection knowledge among radiology technicians, with half of them reporting infrequent use of protection measures. Specific occupational and radiation safety factors significantly influenced HRQoL, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to improve well-being in this population.
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