David Schmitz, MD; Marilyn G. Klug, PhD; Gary G. Schwartz, PhD, MPH, PhD
Corresponding Author: Gary G. Schwartz, PhD, MPH, PhD; University of North Dakota. Email: gary.schwartz@und.edu
Section: Original Research
Publication: June 3, 2021
Background: Exposure to radon at home is the largest cause of lung cancer after smoking and the combination of smoking and radon increases lung cancer risk several-fold. North Dakota has some of the highest residential radon levels in the U.S. Although family physicians in North Dakota commonly counsel patients about smoking cessation, little is known about their knowledge and practices concerning radon. Methods: We mailed a questionnaire to 350 North Dakota family physicians regarding radon knowledge, beliefs, their own radon testing, and radon couseling of patients. The responses were analyzed by descriptive statistics, ANOVA and logistic regression. Results: Sixty-one percent (61%) of the surveys were completed. Seventy percent (70%) of family physicians correctly identified radon as radioactive. Sixty-seven (67%) reported that they do not inform patients about radon and 80% reported never discussing the combined hazards of radon and smoking. Conversely, 35% of family physicians reported that they tested their own homes for radon. Physicians who believed that the risk of radon was low reported that they were unlikely to test. Of the physicians who tested for radon, 54% reported counseling patients to do so. Discussion: Most North Dakota family physicians are knowledgeable about radon and more than 1/3 have tested their own homes. However, only a minority transmit this knowledge to their patients. Because physicians who are less concerned about radon are unlikely to counsel patients about it, future efforts should educate physicians about radon risks, especially in conjunction with smoking.