1. Introduction
failure of standard communication methods, cancer, lung cancer, radioactive decay, lung cancer deaths
CANCER, DECAY, LUNG CANCER, REGRESSION, COLD
Introduction: Exposure to residential radon is a preventable cause of cancer. Prevention requires testing, but the percentage of homes that have been tested is small. One reason for the low testing rates may be that printed brochures fail to motivate people to obtain and return a radon test. Methods: We developed a radon app for smartphones that contained the same information as printed brochures. We conducted a randomized, controlled trial that compared the app to brochures in a population comprised largely of homeowners. Cognitive endpoints included radon knowledge, attitudes toward testing, perceived severity and susceptibility to radon, and response and self-efficacy. Behavioral endpoints were participants’ requests for a free radon test and the return of the test to the lab. Participants (N = 116) were residents of Grand Forks, North Dakota, a city with one of the nation’s highest radon levels. Data were analyzed by general linear models and logistic regression. Results: Participants in both conditions showed significant increases in radon knowledge (Radon is an invisible, odorless gas produced by the natural decay of uranium and other radioactive elements present in rocks and soil. Radon enters homes via cracks in the foundation and can accumulate indoors, particularly during cold weather, when homes are tightly sealed. Radon gas undergoes further radioactive decay and, if inhaled, can cause cytotoxic and genotoxic damage to respiratory cells. It is the largest cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and causes more than 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. per year [One in 15 U.S. homes has radon levels that exceed the level recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prevent lung cancer [The low radon testing rates also may reflect a failure of standard communication methods, e.g., printed brochures, to educate people about radon and to encourage them to test their homes. We therefore developed an alternate radon communication method, an application (app) for smartphones. The app contained the same radon information as printed brochures from the EPA but conveyed that information via smartphone. In a randomized trial (N = 138) comparing the app to brochures, the app was markedly superior in increasing radon knowledge and encouraging users to request free radon tests [The goal of this trial was to attempt to replicate the superiority of the radon app in an older, non-college-age population comprised largely of homeowners. We hypothesized that, compared to participants exposed to print brochures, participants exposed to the radon app would show a higher rate of requests for free radon tests and a higher rate of returning them to the laboratory.