• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.118-126
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• 2014

A survey was conducted on perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes of elementary, middle, and high school students, who will lead public opinion in the future, regarding irradiated food, nuclear power generation, and medical radiation. These topics urgently require general social acceptability among various fields in which radiation is used. Educational methods to enhance social acceptability were partially discovered. First, it is necessary to implement different strategies when designing courses for female and male students. Male students have higher levels of objective knowledge (p<0.039) of irradiated food, necessity (p<0.001) and objective knowledge (p<0.001) of nuclear power generation, approval of building a nuclear power plant in the nation (p<0.001), necessity (p<0.001) and objective knowledge (p<0.001) of medical radiation, and attitudes regarding using medical radiation (p<0.007, p<0.001). Second, the educational effect of explanations to help increase national understanding of the necessity and safety of nuclear power generation will increase if information on the necessity and safety of medical radiation is provided as well. Both male and female students perceived that medical radiation is the most necessary (p<0.001), medical radiation is the safest (p<0.001), and nuclear power generation is the least safe (p<0.013). Moreover, the correlation between medical radiation and nuclear power generation was the highest. Third, there is a need for different lectures between classes, since the patterns of perception vary according to the field of radiation use among elementary, middle, and high school students. Elementary school students had high interest in education on nuclear power generation (p<0.005), perceived that irradiated food is safe (p<0.001), and had the most positive attitude toward consuming irradiated food (p<0.001). Middle school students had high interest in education on nuclear power generation (p<0.018), perceived that nuclear power generation (p<0.001) and medical radiation (p<0.002) are safe, and had the most positive attitude toward using radiation for treatment (p<0.001). High school students had the highest level of objective knowledge on nuclear power generation (p<0.001) and medical radiation (p<0.001), and perceived that medical radiation is the most necessary (p<0.017); however, they perceived that nuclear power generation is the least safe (p<0.001). Attitudes toward irradiated food intake (p<0.001) and approving construction of a nuclear power plant in their neighborhood (p<0.001) were both low. Fourth, it is necessary to provide educational programs to change perceptions and improve attitudes rather than providing education focused on objective knowledge. There was no correlation between objective knowledge and necessity of irradiated food, objective knowledge and safety and interest in education on nuclear power generation, and objective knowledge and interest in education and information acquirement regarding medical radiation. In particular, high school students had the highest level of objective knowledge and yet had the least positive attitudes toward approving construction of nuclear power plants in their neighborhood and intake of irradiated food. Therefore, to increase the social acceptability of using nuclear energy and radiation in Korea, it is desirable to provide strategic educational programs to improve perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes regarding the necessity and safety of their use.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.174-180
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• 2015

There are currently many research papers on the knowledge, perceptions and actions of radiation-related staff, but hardly any papers on radiation major students in college who are to be staff members of radiation related jobs in the future. It is of course important to understand the perceptions of staff working on the lines and change their knowledge and perceptions, but in the long term it seems more efficient to understand those who are in the stage of being educated to be staff members-their knowledge and perception of radiation so that ultimately they can attain the right kind of understanding. Therefore the aim of this study is to grasp the pre-radiation staff's basic concept of radiation and space dose, their understanding of radiation safety based on this, and whether there is a change in their perception before and after the space dose measurement experiment; in the end this is to see if the space dose measurement experiment is effective in changing perception on radiation safety. This study took as its subject 64 students majoring radiation in college, I.e. pre-radiation staff members, and gauged their basic conceptualization of radiation, understanding of space dose, and understanding of radiation safety; in the X-ray room within the department the students were asked to measure space dose for themselves, so as to see whether there was a change in their understanding of radiation safety before and after the experiment, according to their understanding of the basic concept of radiation and of space dose. As a result of the space dose measurement experiment, students' increased basic knowledge of concept of radiation and understanding of the dangers of space dose were noteworthy, and accordingly their understanding of radiation safety became stricter and more conservative. In spite of this, their work ethic stayed in the lead of their understanding of radiation safety; this implies the need of a more departmentalized safety education program. Therefore instead of safety education that simply uses visual-audial material in a kind of lecture, I suggest here that there be a more experiential safety education program that enables learners to try out space dose measurement experiments for themselves, a work ethic education that aims for a conventional point of view towards radiation safety as well as a stern attitude.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.108-116
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• 2020

Background: This foundational study on educational interventions aimed to analyze the changes in awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of young learners after they received objective information on safety management. Materials and Methods: Educational sessions on nuclear power and radiation safety were delivered to 4,934 Korean elementary, middle, and high school students in two separate sessions conducted in 2016 and 2017. The effects of these interventions were subsequently analyzed. Results and Discussion: Learner attitudes toward safety were found to be the predominant variables affecting the post-intervention risk (safety) awareness of nuclear power generation. Conclusion: The safety awareness of future generations will significantly influence policy decisions on nuclear power generation. Hence, the design of educational interventions on this subject must match variables suited to learner levels.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.173-179
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• 2011

This study identified knowledge, attitudes and behavior for radiation safety managemen of career dental hygienists and new dental hygienists. Results obtained from this study are as follows. 1. Regarding the knowledge level of radiation safety management, average score was $8.25{\pm}2.47$ for career dental hygienists and $7.42{\pm}2.77$ for new dental hygienists from 15 scale test.(p<.001). In addition, knowledge level of radiation safety management by general characteristics showed statistically significant difference according to health status(p<0.01). 2. Regarding the attitude level of radiation safety management, average score was $4.35{\pm}0.55$ for career dental hygienists and $4.19{\pm}0.60$ for new dental hygienists from 5 scale test.(p<0.01). 3. Regarding the behavior level of radiation safety management, average score was $3.14{\pm}0.98$ for career dental hygienists and $3.33{\pm}0.99$ for new dental hygienists from 5 scale test.(p<0.05). In addition, the behavior level by general characteristics showed statistically significant difference according to attendance rate of radiation safety management training (p<0.01) and defences of clinic (p<.001). 4. Based on the survey of relationship among knowledge, attitude and behavior of radiation safety management, we found that the higher the knowledge level of radiation safety management was, the higher the level of attitude was(p<.001).

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.14-23
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• 2021

Background: For radiological protection and control, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) provides the nominal risk coefficients related to radiation exposure, which can be extrapolated using the excess relative risk and excess absolute risk obtained from the Life Span Study of atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the dose and dose-rate effectiveness factor (DDREF). Materials and Methods: Since it is impossible to directly estimate the radiation risk at doses less than approximately 100 mSv only from epidemiological knowledge and data, support from radiation biology is absolutely imperative, and thus, several national and international bodies have advocated the importance of bridging knowledge between biology and epidemiology. Because of the accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)'s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in 2011, the exposure of the public to radiation has become a major concern and it was considered that the estimation of radiation risk should be more realistic to cope with the prevailing radiation exposure situation. Results and Discussion: To discuss the issues from wide aspects related to radiological protection, and to realize bridging knowledge between biology and epidemiology, we have established a research group to develop low-dose and low-dose-rate radiation risk estimation methodology, with the permission of the Japan Health Physics Society. Conclusion: The aim of the research group was to clarify the current situation and issues related to the risk estimation of low-dose and low-dose-rate radiation exposure from the viewpoints of different research fields, such as epidemiology, biology, modeling, and dosimetry, to identify a future strategy and roadmap to elucidate a more realistic estimation of risk against low-dose and low-dose-rate radiation exposure.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.159-166
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was examine via a survey the knowledge related to radiation safety management (RSM) among radiation workers who operated or used a radiation generator or radioactive isotopes (radioactive isotopes, etc. hereinafter) for industrial use and to systematically analyze the changes in the survey results in order to promote a radiation safety culture for facilities where radiation is used. We administered a questionnaire to 861 radiation workers in the period from August 1 to September 5, 2011. As for the analysis method, a frequency analysis was made for the general characteristics and organization information of survey respondents, while the average and standard deviation were calculated and compared for the knowledge level of the RSM. According to the analysis results, the knowledge level of the RSM was evaluated to be high in all of the radiation workers. In conclusion, it is required to conduct a study on various factors in regards to the RSM among radiation workers. This can contribute to establishing educational programs in a timely manner to increase the awareness of safe and efficient use of radioactive materials and equipments by radiation workers.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.335-341
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• 2012

This study conducted a survey targeting at dental hygienists working in medical institutions located in Daegu, Pusan, Ulsan Metropolitan City and Gyeongnam and Gyeongbuk Province from July 18th to August 26th 2011, in order to study factors which affect radiation safety management behaviors and improve levels of those behaviors. The results of this study are as follows. 1. There were significant differences in radiation safety management knowledge of dental hygienists, according to service institutions (p<.001), the current state of defense facilities (p<.006) and the necessity for safety management education (p<.012). 2. There were significant differences in radiation safety management attitudes, according to age (p<.014), service institutions (p<.003), work experience (p<.009), educational level (p<.002), the current state of defense facilities (p<.015), the necessity for safety management education (p<.005) and the intention to take part in the education (p<.036). 3. There were significant differences in radiation safety management behaviors, depending on experience in safety management education (p<.068), measurement of exposed dose (p<.010), the state of defense facilities (p<.001). 4. There were statistically positive correlations between radiation safety management knowledge and attitude, and between radiation safety management attitude and behavior (p<.05). 5. The regular measurement of exposed dose (p<.046) and the present state of defense facilities (p<.001) were found to be factors to affect radiation safety management behaviors. In conclusion, it is considered that building perfect defense facilities of radiology rooms and measuring the exposed does of dental hygienists on a regular basis to alert them to the danger of radiation is considerably important to improve radiation safety management behaviors.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.81-89
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• 2012

This research, which was conducted for student at department of dental hygiene, intended to measure the level of self-efficacy and consciousness on the use of radiation, knowledge and attitude on radiation safety management and got the following conclusions. This study was performed from May 8 to July 7, 2011 for 326 students who study at Department of Dental Hygiene of a three-year course in Busan areas. The result of as follows; 1. As a result of comparing the average of a sense of self-efficacy according to the characteristics of those surveyed, a statistically significant difference(p<0.01)(p<0.001) was found according to grade point average, subjective health condition. 2. As a result of comparing the average level of consciousness about radiation use according to the characteristics of those surveyed, a statistically meaningful difference(p<0.05)(p<0.01) was found according to grade, grade point average. 3. As a result of conducting a correlation analysis among self-efficacy, consciousness on the use of radiation, knowledge and attitude on RSM, the correlation of self-efficacy and consciousness, knowledge, and attitude was r=0.108, 0.203, 0.231 respectively, all of which was a plus correlation(p<0.01). we believe that a variety of programs should be offered to be capable of enhancing knowledge and attitude on RSM, self-efficacy.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.237-244
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The current South Korean government policy on food irradiation technology should be reformed based on an in-depth investigation of the communications aspect, because the issue is no longer of a technological nature, given the proven safety and efficacy of the processes. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The target population of the education program consisted of elementary, middle, and high school students attending 310 schools in South Korea (2013: 63 schools, 2014: 104 schools, 2015: 143 schools). Data subjected to analysis were 13,327 pre-education and 12,641 post-education questionnaires received from 7,582 elementary, 2,671 middle, and 3,249 high school students who participated in the education program from May 2012 to April 2015 (n = 12,831), after the exclusion of inadequately filled-in questionnaires. RESULTS: Analysis of the three-year educational effect trend was conducted by comparing levels of variables before and after food radiation education. The analysis yielded the finding that the post-education levels were significantly higher for all variables. That is, for interest in education, perception (necessity, safety, subjective knowledge, and information acquisition), objective knowledge, and attitude, with the sole exception of objective knowledge in 2013. CONCLUSIONS: Given that post-education levels of perception, knowledge, and attitude concerning irradiated foods increased considerably compared to pre-education levels, behavior change should be induced by providing continuous education to enhance, these primary variables.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.101-108
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate safety management awareness and behavioral investigation of radiation/radioactivity performance defenses of radiation workers' in medical institutions. Data collection consisted of 267 radiation workers working in medical institutions using structured questionnaires. As a result, it was analyzed that radiation safety management awareness and performance were high in 40s, 50s group and higher education group. The analysis according to the radiation safety management knowledge was analyzed that the "Know very well" group had higher scores on awareness and performance scores. The analysis according to the degree of safety management effort showed the high awareness scale and the performance scale in the group "Receiving various education or studying the safety management contents through book". The correlations between the sub-factors showed the highest positive correlation between perceived practician and personal perspective and perceived by patient and patient's caretaker perspective. Therefore, radiation safety management for workers, patients, and patient's caretaker should be conducted through continuous education of radiation safety management through various routes of radiation workers working at medical institutions.