1. Sumi YOKOYAMA 1 * and Naoki KODAIRA 1 1School of Health Sciences, Fujita Health University Faculty of Medical Technology, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan, *e-mail : sumi0704@fujita-hu.ac.jp Radiation Risk Perception of the Co-Medical Students 1. Introduction After the Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident, the effects of radiation on health were required to be explained to many peoples. Radiological technologists are familiar to the public and are a source of knowledge not only on radiological treatment but also on radiation protection and the effect of radiation on health. Thus, they are the appropriate people to impart information on radiation risk. As part of basic study on risk communication, in this study, a questionnaire was administered university students majoring in radiatiological technology and factor analysis was conducted to determine their notions of radiation risk. 2. Analysis Methods The composition of students who participated in the questionnaire survey is shown in Table 1. The responses, shown in Table 2, to nine questions pertaining to each item were subjected to factor analysis. The analysis showed that the risk perception of the activities was indicated by two factors (dread and unknown) evaluated on seven- point scale. As shown in Table 3, nine radiation and sixteen non- radiation related activities were chosen from among medical practices, energy-related items, conveyances, food, natural disasters etc. 3. Results and Discussion 4. Conclusions Abstract The radiation risk perception of co-medical students, particularly university students majoring in medical technology, was examined as part of basic study on radiation risk communication. Twenty-five items concerning radiation and non-radiation activities were selected and a questionnaire comprising these items was formulated. The feelings of dread and unknown were evaluated on seven-point scale. Results were obtained through factor analysis. As the results of the factor analysis, the notions of risk for medical practice and transportation of the students in the first and fourth years were different. Date of survey year Number of students Total (Meal and Female) Apr-Jun 2010 1st 46 (M: 27, F: 19) 3rd54 (M: 32, F: 22) Apr-Oct 2011 1st55 (M: 32, F: 23) 3rd54 (M: 32, F: 22) 4th47 (M: 26, F: 21) Table1 Investigated number of students Table 2 List of responses for the factor analysis No.LowHigh 123456789123456789 Voluntary Delay-Effect Unknown Scientifically Unknown Controllable New Not catastrophic Not dreadful Not fatal Involuntary Acute-Effect Known Scientifically Known Uncontrollable Old Catastrophic Dreadful Fatal Figure 1 Risk perception determined by the factor analysis. Items related to medical practice are located in Section Ⅲ. The risk perception with regard to medical practices of fourth-year students is lower than that of first-year students. Figure 2 Risk perceptions with regard to CT and NPP determined by the questionnaire results. The risk perception with regard to NPP that are determined by the surveys conducted in 2010 and 2011 (before /after the 1F NPP accident) were the same. ◆ 1st (2011) ◆ 4th (2011) Wind Power Nuclear Power Nucl. Weapon Earthquake Driving Car Driving a car Anticancer agent CT X-ray Ultrasonic CT X-ray Airplane Drinking Alcohol Smoking RI Therapy Ⅰ Ⅰ Ⅲ Ⅲ Ⅳ Ⅳ Dread Unknown Low High Low Activities Radiation Related Activity (9 items) X-ray examination, CT examination, RI examination, Radiation therapy, Food irradiation, Care (RI therapy patient), Nuclear power plant, Living near the NPP, Nuclear weapon; Non-Radiation Related Activity (16 items) Ultrasonography, MRI, Anticancer agent, Influenza, Drugs (Cannabis), Smoking, Drinking alcohol, Ultraviolet rays, Car, Airplane, Train, Wind power plant, Thermal power plant, Food additives, Genetic recombination food, Earthquakes Table 3 Investigated items CT Examination Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Figure 3 High-risk activities selected by the students (2011). Figure 4 Reasons for high-risk activities (2011). a) First -year students b) Fourth-year students Dread Unknown Dread Serious damage 47.3% Many deaths 10.6% Others 16.4% Unpredicatable 9.4% Unavoidable 9.4% Unnecessary 8.2% Uselessness 8.2% Addictive 7.1% Others 16.4% Serious damage 47.3% Many deaths 25.5% Well-known 5.5% Familiar 5.5% The questionnaire survey pertained to the risk involved in radiation and non-radiation activities, and it was administered to university students majoring in radiobiological technology in 2010 and 2011. Among fourth-year students, the scale of “unknown” related to medical practices was estimated to be low regardless of whether the activities were radiation or non-radiation ones. The differences between the responses of the first- and fourth-year students are attributed to the differences in the amounts of medical knowledge and experience between the two groups. The risk perception of the first- and fourth-year students with regarded to the nuclear plant was not different. Furthermore, their risk perception before and after the 1F NPP accident remained the same. Nuclear weapons, earthquakes, drugs, nuclear power plants and smoking were selected as high-risk items. For the first- and fourth- year students, the reasons included “serious damage“ and “many deaths”. The responses of the fourth-year students varied greatly.