Impact of Smoking Information on Concerns About Radon

NCT ID: NCT03499535

Last Updated: 2019-04-19

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 1390 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2015-08-07
• Study Completion Date: 2016-04-22

Brief Summary

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).

Detailed Description

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.

Conditions

Lung Neoplasms; Radon Exposure; Smoking; Intention; Risk Reduction Behavior

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Study 1: Radon&Smoking Synergistic/EPA

Participants viewed radon and smoking risk information taken from the EPA's pamphlet on the dangers of radon gas exposure.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Radon & Smoking Synergistic

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants viewed health information detailing the risks of developing lung cancer from exposure to radon gas, smoking, and their synergistic effects. This intervention represents the type of information most commonly presented in radon risk communications.

EPA

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Health information modeled after the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) pamphlet on radon risk.

Study 1: Radon&Smoking Synergistic/Idaho

Participants viewed radon and smoking risk information taken from Idaho's Department of Health and Human Welfare's pamphlet on the dangers of radon gas exposure.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Radon & Smoking Synergistic

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants viewed health information detailing the risks of developing lung cancer from exposure to radon gas, smoking, and their synergistic effects. This intervention represents the type of information most commonly presented in radon risk communications.

Idaho

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Health information modeled after the Idaho Department of Health and Human Welfare's pamphlet on radon risk.

Study 1: Radon Only / EPA

Participants viewed only radon risk information taken from the EPA's pamphlet on the dangers of radon gas exposure.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Radon Only

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants viewed health information detailing the risks of developing lung cancer from radon exposure. No information about the risks for developing lung cancer associated with smoking or its synergistic effect with radon exposure are included.

EPA

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Health information modeled after the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) pamphlet on radon risk.

Study 1: Radon Only / Idaho

Participants viewed only radon risk information taken from Idaho's Department of Health and Human Welfare's pamphlet on the dangers of radon gas exposure.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Radon Only

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants viewed health information detailing the risks of developing lung cancer from radon exposure. No information about the risks for developing lung cancer associated with smoking or its synergistic effect with radon exposure are included.

Idaho

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Health information modeled after the Idaho Department of Health and Human Welfare's pamphlet on radon risk.

Study 2: Radon Only

Participants viewed a radon-only message that focused only on the effect of radon on lung-cancer risk.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Radon Only

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants viewed health information detailing the risks of developing lung cancer from radon exposure. No information about the risks for developing lung cancer associated with smoking or its synergistic effect with radon exposure are included.

Study 2: Radon and Smoking Isolated

Participants viewed a radon-and-smoking-isolated message that covered the individual effects of radon and of smoking on lung cancer, but without mentioning their synergistic effect.

Group Type: OTHER

Radon and Smoking Isolated

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants viewed health information detailing the risks of developing lung cancer from radon exposure and smoking. No information describing the synergistic effects of smoking and radon exposure on lung cancer risk are included.

Study 2: Radon & Smoking Synergistic

Participants viewed a radon-and-smoking-synergistic message that covered the individual effects of radon and of smoking but that also included information about their synergistic effect.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Radon & Smoking Synergistic

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants viewed health information detailing the risks of developing lung cancer from exposure to radon gas, smoking, and their synergistic effects. This intervention represents the type of information most commonly presented in radon risk communications.

Interventions

Radon & Smoking Synergistic

Participants viewed health information detailing the risks of developing lung cancer from exposure to radon gas, smoking, and their synergistic effects. This intervention represents the type of information most commonly presented in radon risk communications.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Radon Only

Participants viewed health information detailing the risks of developing lung cancer from radon exposure. No information about the risks for developing lung cancer associated with smoking or its synergistic effect with radon exposure are included.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Radon and Smoking Isolated

Participants viewed health information detailing the risks of developing lung cancer from radon exposure and smoking. No information describing the synergistic effects of smoking and radon exposure on lung cancer risk are included.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

EPA

Health information modeled after the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) pamphlet on radon risk.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Idaho

Health information modeled after the Idaho Department of Health and Human Welfare's pamphlet on radon risk.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Live within the US
• Have an Amazon Mechanical Turk account (website where online study was posted)

Exclusion Criteria

• None

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Paul Windschitl

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Paul Windschitl

Professor

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Other Identifiers

201507727

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id