Martin et al . 3
Figure 1 . Percentage of parents who correctly identified the following facts about radon .
Human Subjects Approval Statement
This study was reviewed and received an exemption from the local Committee on Human Research in Behavioral and Social Sciences ( IRB , CHRBSS B06-194 ). Under the exemption , formal Institutional Review Board ( IRB ) Committee review was not required , and the project was approved under an instructor ’ s assurance . As such , no formal consent was required for participation in the study . Parents and guardians were informed that completion of the survey was voluntary and anonymous prior to their decision to participate .
Results
Surveys were received from 25 school districts throughout Vermont , one from the state of New York , and three from undisclosed locations . Notably , 54 % of surveys were distributed within Chittenden County , the most populated region of the state . A total of 171 surveys were received . Of these , 126 were complete and analyzed , whereas 45 were incomplete and excluded from analysis . Of the parents and guardians who completed the survey , 80 % were female , 93 % were Caucasian , 83 % had a college or graduate degree , and 77 % were between the ages of 31 and 50 ; 55 % of participants knew whether their own home had been tested for radon .
Survey results revealed that 85 % of parents knew that radon is a gas and 68 % knew that radon comes from rock . However , as depicted in Figure 1 , only 51 % knew that radon affects the lungs and only 39 % knew that radon can cause cancer . In addition , only 8 % of parents felt confident that their children ’ s school had notified them regarding the school ’ s radon testing status .
Regarding perceptions of radon in schools , we found that 82 % of parents agreed that their children ’ s schools should be tested for radon levels , whereas only 2 % of parents disagreed with testing for radon levels in schools . Furthermore , 91 % of parents believed that schools should take action to address radon levels if they were found to be elevated . Regarding legislation , 83 % of Vermont parents were in support of a law requiring testing and disclosure of results of radon levels in schools , and 87 % supported a law requiring schools to reduce radon levels if they were elevated . These results are displayed in Figure 2 .
To determine whether knowledge about radon corresponded with views about radon testing in schools , we stratified the responses to knowledge questions ( radon is a gas , comes from rock , affects the lungs , and cancer is a risk of long-term exposure ) as zero to two correct responses or three to four correct responses . Participants who correctly answered at least three of four knowledge questions about radon were significantly more likely to support testing ( p = . 037 ) of elevated radon levels in Vermont schools . Support for mitigating elevated levels did not reach statistical significance . Support for legislation mandating testing and mitigation similarly did not meet statistical significance ,
Figure 2 . Degree to which parents agree with the following statements regarding radon in schools .