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Introduction: Sufficient knowledge and adherence to infection control measures are essential for healthcare workers to effectively combat healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). Radiography undergraduates should stay updated and proficient in their infection control practice. This study aimed to assess knowledge and practice of infection control measures during radiological procedures among radiography undergraduates in Sri Lanka., Method: A web-based, descriptive, self-administered, cross-sectional study was conducted. The questionnaire collected data on demographic, knowledge and practice related to infection control measures from radiography undergraduates., Results: A total of 167 radiography undergraduates returned the completed questionnaire. The majority (88%) have never participated in infection control programs. The mean knowledge and practice scores were 58% and 41.1%, indicating moderate and poor levels, respectively. A significant difference was observed in the overall knowledge of infection control when considering the academic year (p = 0.001) and the duration of clinical exposure (p = 0.01). There was no significant difference between practice and gender, age, ethnicity, academic year and duration of clinical exposure (p > 0.05)., Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that knowledge of nosocomial infection was moderate and practice was inadequate among most of the radiography students surveyed. This highlights the need to reassess the educational components of radiography programs to incorporate practical and comprehensive teaching, learning and monitoring of infection control measures., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted education and other aspects of life, causing psychological distress. The current study aims to identify anxiety, depression, and stress among radiography undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic., Method: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between November and December 2021 on a sample of 140 radiography undergraduates at the Department of Radiography/Radiotherapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya. An online survey with two sections: demographic characteristics and a psychometric scale (DASS-42) was used for data collection., Results: A total of 107 undergraduates responded to the questionnaire giving a response rate of 76.2%. The results revealed that the majority of radiography undergraduate students suffered from mild to extremely severe depression (87.85%), anxiety (92.52%), and stress (73.83%) levels. In addition, more than two-thirds of the students (>73% of participants) reported at least one symptom of depression, anxiety, or stress to varying degrees. Scores for depression, anxiety, and stress did not differ significantly across gender and academic year. However, a significant difference was observed between the two age groups, 23-26 years and > 27 years, regarding depression. The older students reported severe depression, whereas younger students reported moderate depression., Conclusion: A high prevalence of negative psychological impact was observed among radiography undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic. This necessitates taking proactive steps to address, safeguard, and nurture undergraduates' mental health and well-being during the current and future pandemic crises to mitigate the negative impacts., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)