Assessment of Knowledge, Awareness, Attitude and Interest of Radiotherapy as a Carrier Choice Among Final Year Radiography Students in Northern Nigeria
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Date
2025
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FULafia Journal of Health Sciences
Abstract
Background: Radiographers play a crucial role in radiotherapy treatment but their numeric strength is grossly
inadequate globally. Till date, despite the obvious need for such professionals in healthcare settings, there is no
single institution offering Bachelor’s degree in radiotherapy in Nigeria.
Aim: This study assessed the knowledge, awareness, attitude, and interest of final-year Radiography students
toward a career in radiotherapy
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among final-year radiography students in northern
Nigeria, where a self-administered questionnaire designed using Google form (Google, Mountain View, CA) was
shared using online platforms. The questionnaire was face-validated, and the reliability was tested using
Cronbach’s alpha. A coefficient of 0.7 was obtained which is considered adequate. Descriptive statistics were
generated for this study using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0.
Results: Out of 222 potential participants, 191 responded to the questionnaire giving a response rate of 86%. The
result showed that 96% (n=185) are knowledgeable and aware of radiotherapy demonstrating widespread
familiarity with the concept. Also, 52.9% (n=101) of the respondents have positive attitudes towards the
importance of radiotherapy in cancer treatment. The simple majority, 59.7% (n=114) of the respondents, showed
interest in becoming therapy radiographer though an alarming 81.2% (n=155) had not been exposed to
radiotherapy practice during their clinical postings, indicating a potential gap in practical training.
Conclusion: This study revealed that large number of the respondents are knowledgeable and have positive
attitude towards radiotherapy with great interest of becoming therapy radiographers despite inadequate practical
exposure during their training.
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Radiotherapy awareness, career, student radiographers, northern Nigeria