Impact of Smoking Information on Concerns About Radon

Overview

Despite a push for tailored messages, health communications are often aimed at, and viewed by, people with varying levels of risk. This project examined-in the context of radon risk messages-whether information relevant to high-risk individuals can have an unintended influence on lower-risk individuals. Specifically, the investigators assessed whether information about lung-cancer risk from smoking reduced concerns about lung-cancer risk from radon among nonsmokers. The investigators hypothesized that non-smokers who read a message that included smoking-relevant information would express less concern about the effects of radon exposure and less interest in testing their home compared to those who read a version in which smoking-relevant information was excluded. Two studies were conducted. Although the investigators did not exclude smokers, the focus was on participants self-identifying as nonsmokers (including never smokers and former smokers).

Despite a push for tailored messages, health communications are often aimed at, and viewed by, people with varying levels of risk. This project examined-in the context of radon risk messages-whether information relevant to high-risk individuals can have an unintended influence on lower-risk individuals. Specifically, the investigators assessed whether information about lung-cancer risk from smoking reduced concerns about lung-cancer risk from radon among nonsmokers. The investigators hypothesized that non-smokers who read a message that included smoking-relevant information would express less concern about the effects of radon exposure and less interest in testing their home compared to those who read a version in which smoking-relevant information was excluded. Two studies were conducted. Although the investigators did not exclude smokers, the focus was on participants self-identifying as nonsmokers (including never smokers and former smokers). Participants in both studies were recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Participants viewed radon messages that varied in the information they communicated about smoking's effect on lung cancer. In Study 1, smoking information was included or excluded from messages assembled from existing radon pamphlets. In Study 2, versions of a new radon message either excluded smoking information, described smoking as a major cause of lung cancer, or also described smoking's synergistic effect with radon on lung cancer risk. After viewing a radon health message, participants completed a variety of measures. Primary measures assessed respondents' anticipated sense of concern and related reactions if they learned that they/their home had been exposed to elevated levels of radon. Other key measures included questions about participants' interest and intention to test their home for radon.