Radiation-Related Fear, Risk Perception, and Occupational Responses Among Healthcare Workers and Health Professions Students: A Scoping Review.

Background/

Objectives

Radiation-related fear, anxiety, risk perception, reproductive concern, protective behaviour, and avoidance are conceptually related but not interchangeable. This scoping review mapped how these constructs have been operationalised among healthcare workers and health professions students.

Methods

Following JBI guidance and PRISMA-ScR, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and the Cochrane Library were searched for English-language records published from 1 January 2000 to 4 September 2026. Of 845 records, 388 duplicates were removed and 457 unique records were screened.

Results

Twenty-seven reports underwent full-text assessment; one was excluded because its mixed population and radiation context did not permit a healthcare-specific occupational interpretation, leaving 26 studies. The evidence was dominated by cross-sectional studies and heterogeneous measurement instruments; therefore, study-level percentages were not treated as directly comparable prevalence estimates. Reported outcomes ranged from explicit radiophobia and affective anxiety to cognitive risk appraisal, reproductive concern, protective behaviour, and avoidance. Education was associated with differing changes across settings, while dosimetry, protective equipment, workflow, and safety climate were reported alongside occupational responses.

Conclusions

The literature does not support a standardised operational definition or common measurement framework for professional radiophobia. Future research should distinguish affective fear or anxiety from contextually appropriate occupational risk appraisal and protective behaviour, and should evaluate organisational conditions alongside education.