ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Radiation and Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1501027
Investigation and analysis of the radiation protection status of radiation workers during the peri-pregnancy period
Provisionally accepted
- 1Wuxi Xishan District Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Wuxi, China
- 2Xuzhou Cancer Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
- 3Wuxi Xishan People′s Hospital, Jangsu, China
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Objective: Radiation exposure during pregnancy poses serious risks to foetal health, including increased likelihood of miscarriage, preterm birth, congenital anomalies and developmental disorders, while also impacting maternal occupational safety. This study aimed to assess the concerns and needs of radiation practitioners regarding radiation exposure during the perinatal period, with a focus on radiation protection. Methods: A questionnaire survey of 147 radiation practitioners from public and private hospitals was conducted to assess their knowledge, concerns and needs regarding radiation protection during the peri-pregnancy period. Statistical analysis was used to compare the importance and implementation of radiation protection in different groups, and chi-squared tests were used to compare differences in policy implementation (public vs private hospitals), attitudes towards radiation avoidance (male vs female practitioners) and concerns about foetal exposure across age groups.Results: Public hospitals demonstrated higher rates of radiation protection policies (38.89%) than private hospitals (25%). Among female respondents, 95.65% advocated for temporary removal from radiation-related positions when preparing for pregnancy. Of those who gave birth while working in radiation fields, 27.12% ceased radiation work pre-pregnancy, 30.51% avoided it post-pregnancy and 42.37% did not avoid it. Additionally, 86.96% of female respondents emphasised the need to avoid radiation work during breastfeeding, with 47.83% expressing concerns about secondary radiation exposure to infants. Among all female participants, 90% reported concerns about potential radiation effects on foetal health.Conclusion: Radiation protection measures were more effectively implemented in public hospitals than in other institutions, underscoring the need for standardised policies across all institutions. Female practitioners exhibited heightened concerns about secondary exposure of the foetus and infant, particularly during pregnancy and lactation. Strengthening policies and workplace adjustments are critical to mitigating occupational risks and safeguarding maternal and child health.
Keywords: Radiation, practitioners, peri-pregnancy, Radiation Protection, Questionnaire survey
Received: 24 Sep 2024; Accepted: 15 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liang, Ji, Zhang, Zhou, Yu and Sun. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jianwei Sun, Wuxi Xishan People′s Hospital, Jangsu, China
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