Understanding Public Health Worker Beliefs About Radon Gas Exposure.

PROFESSIONS; ATTITUDES of medical personnel; RADON; PUBLIC health; EXECUTIVES; HEALTH attitudes; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; NURSES; QUESTIONNAIRES; ENVIRONMENTAL exposure; SANITARIANS

Radon is a tasteless, colorless, and odorless gas that can cause lung cancer. Radon gas is estimated to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and is the leading cause of lung cancer mortality among nonsmokers. The goal of this study was to better understand radon gas exposure beliefs among public health workers. Public health workers engage in actions that enhance and improve health in the communities they serve. They act as change agents and can influence public perceptions and attitudes toward health risk factors. This study surveyed four classifications of public health workers in New Jersey (N = 386): health educators, health officers, registered nurses, and registered environmental health specialists. A questionnaire survey was used to explore their beliefs about radon gas exposure. This study found significant differences (p <.05) in public health worker beliefs regarding radon gas exposure, which suggests that the role of public health workers in disseminating information about environmental hazards to communities should be well defined and uniform. Furthermore, training for public health workers on the hazards posed by radon gas is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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