Knowledge and Perceptions of Radiography Among Undergraduate Health Professional Students: Implications for Interprofessional Education in Nigeria
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Radiography is a health profession that employs ionizing and non-ionizing radiations for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Students from other health professional courses share institutional and clinical environments with radiography students throughout their training, making mutual understanding of the profession professionally important. No study had previously assessed this relationship at Bayero University Kano.
Objectives: To assess the knowledge and perception of students from other health professional courses in Bayero University Kano with respect to radiography profession.
Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted among other health professional departments. Stratified random sampling with proportionate allocation was used to select 322 respondents. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22, applying descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and independent samples t-tests.
Results: Of 322 questionnaires distributed, 306 (95.0%) were returned and fully completed (response rate of 95%). Medical Laboratory Sciences students recorded the highest knowledge score (87.5%) while Physiotherapy students recorded the lowest (48.1%). Optometry students held the most favorable perception of the profession (96.2%) while Physiotherapy students were the least favorable (66.7%). Strong positive correlations between knowledge and perception were found in MBBS (r = 0.737, p < 0.001), Physiotherapy (r = 0.681, p < 0.001), and Dentistry students (r = 0.658, p < 0.001).
Conclusions: With the exception of Physiotherapy students, participants from other health professional courses at Bayero University Kano demonstrated satisfactory knowledge and generally favorable perception of radiography. Interprofessional educational initiatives are recommended to address the gaps identified.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles in JRRS are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
How to Cite
References
Ehrlich RA, Daly JA. Patient care in radiography: With an introduction to medical imaging. 7th ed. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier; 2009.
2. Okeji MC, Ugwuanyi DC, Adejoh T. Radiographers’ willingness to work in rural and underserved areas in Nigeria: A survey of final year radiography students. J Assoc Radiogr Niger. 2014;28(1):6–10.
3. Adejoh T. An inquest into the quests and conquests of the radiography profession in Nigeria. J Radiogr Radiat Sci. 2019;33(1):1–38. https://doi.org/10.48153/jrrs/RUBH5255
4. Hardy M, Harvey H. Artificial intelligence in diagnostic imaging: Impact on the radiography profession. Br J Radiol. 2020;93(1108):20190840. https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr.20190840
5. Brage K, Pedersen MRV, Lauridsen CA, Paulo C, Hansen P, Precht H, et al. Reporting radiographers in CT and MRI: A literature review with a systematic approach. Radiography (Lond). 2025;31(2):102901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2025.102901
6. Hardy M, Johnson L, Sharples R, Boynes S, Irving D. Does radiography advanced practice improve patient outcomes and health service quality? A systematic review. Br J Radiol. 2016;89(1062):20151066. https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr.20151066
7. Coombs CR, Park JR, Loan-Clarke J, Arnold J, Preston D, Wilkinson AJ. Perceptions of radiography and the National Health Service: A qualitative study. Radiography. 2003;9(2):109–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1078-8174(03)00044-0
8. Chiegwu HU, Nwokeocha NL, Obi OL, Uzuegbunam CU, Okonkwo CC. Perception of sister health professionals about radiography profession in Nigeria. J Radiogr Radiat Sci. 2019;33(1):13–16.
9. Ohagwu CC, Nwankwo UC, Eze CU. Perception and attitude of Nigerian school children towards radiography profession. Niger J Med Imaging Radiat Ther. 2012;1(3):30–42.
10. Haruna IS, Njitti M, Zira DJ, Richard I, Obetta C. Knowledge and awareness of radiography profession among senior science secondary school students in Bauchi metropolis, North Eastern Nigeria. Int J Adv Res. 2015;3(11):500–510.
11. Andersson BT, Lundgren SM, Lundén M. Trends that have influenced the Swedish radiography profession over the last four decades. Radiography. 2017;23(4):292–297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2017.07.012
12. Muhammad LU, Umar IB, Barde MA. Assessment of knowledge of radiation protection and biological effects of ionising radiation among clinical dental undergraduate students at Bayero University Kano, Nigeria. Kanem J Med Sci. 2026;20(1):93–101. https://doi.org/10.36020/kjms.2026.2001.013
13. Goldie J, Dowie A, Cotton P, Morrison J. Teaching professionalism in the early years of a medical curriculum: A qualitative study. Med Educ. 2007;41(6):610–617. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2007.02772.x