CR3 News Magazine 2020 VOL 4: September Radon, Schools & Home Study | Page 35

6 SAGE Open
and exhibits its toxicity in a dose-dependent effect. Therefore,
if radon exposure is tested for and minimized in these environments,
it could significantly reduce lung cancer–related
morbidity and mortality in the school employee and former
student populations.
What Can Be Done to Increase Awareness
of Radon?
As radon has become a more recognized health concern, several
groups across the country have made efforts to increase
awareness and decrease exposure to radon. In Montana, it
was found that social marketing was an effective strategy to
increase awareness of and testing for radon in residential
buildings (Larsson, 2014). The U.S. EPA (2007) and other
studies (Latour & Henthorne, 2001; Yoder & Murphy, 2012)
have similarly supported the effectiveness of social marketing
in radon education programs. A community outreach program
in Iowa, conducted over 5 years and composed of
educational handouts, videos, social media postings, and
physician-led educational sessions, also led to a small but
significant increase in radon awareness and testing in homes
(Bain et al., 2016). It is possible that if similar educational
efforts are undertaken among parents targeted at increasing
testing in schools, we could similarly see increased radon
testing and mitigation.
Targeting teachers and students to help educate voters
about the risk of radon in schools could be a particularly
effective approach. A group out of Georgia has been developing
a curriculum for third- and fifth-grade students with
age-appropriate resources including maps and handouts
(Foster et al., 2015). Similarly, New Jersey partnered with
the Department of Environmental Protection to develop a
radon curriculum for teachers at the elementary, middle
school, and high school levels in the state (State of New
Jersey, Department of Environmental Protection, Radiation
Protection Element, 2016). Vermont, Nevada, and Colorado,
among other states, have sponsored radon poster contests for
middle school students to encourage children to learn more
about the health risks of radon (Asperin, 2017; Thompson,
2020). Winning posters were submitted to a national contest
aimed at increasing public awareness about radon to increase
residential radon testing (Daniels, 2015). Similar programs
directed at school children would likely be very effective in
increasing public awareness about radon testing and awareness
in schools across the nation.
Future Directions
To test the hypothesis that increased knowledge about radon
would increase support for radon regulation in schools, a
future study could survey parents/guardians before and after
receiving education about radon and see how their level of
support changed after education. In addition, reaching out to
teachers and school staff to learn more about their knowledge
of radon and perspectives about radon regulation in
schools was beyond the scope of this study, but is an interesting
area for future study.
Study Limitations
One limitation of the survey is the predominant recruitment
of participants at locations and events near Burlington,
Vermont. As a result, there is a disproportionate representation
from the most populous county over other, more rural
Vermont counties. In addition, the population of survey participants
was relatively homogeneous with the majority
being white, well-educated, and women above the age of 30.
The collection of surveys in doctor’s offices, farmer’s markets,
and supermarkets may also have created a selection
bias for participants with greater access to health resources.
These limitations affect the generalizability of the study conclusions.
The cross-sectional study design also prevents us
from being able to establish causation between increased
knowledge about radon testing and increased support for
mitigation. In addition, one survey was included from a parent
or guardian from the neighboring state of New York, and
the discussion group consisted of only two members, limiting
generalizability.
Conclusion
Many Vermont parents of children grades K-12 are unaware
that radon is a lung carcinogen and most do not know the
radon level or mitigation status of their children’s schools.
However, most are in favor of legislation that would require
radon testing in schools, disclosure of the results, and mitigation
of elevated levels. Parents with elementary school children
were significantly more supportive of radon testing,
mitigation, and legislation than parents with only children in
middle and/or high school. This suggests that parents of
younger children may be a particularly important demographic
to target when garnering community support for proposed
legislative changes. Participants with more knowledge
about radon were also significantly more likely to support
testing, demonstrating that further education about the dangers
of radon is necessary to strengthen existing support.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect
to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship,
and/or publication of this article.
ORCID iD
Kirsten Martin
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0528-7149