title: Perceived risk of exposure to indoor residential radon and its relationship to willingness to test among health care providers in Tehran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Radon exposure is the second cause of lung cancer after exposure to tobacco smoke and the first cause in nonsmokers. The purpose of this study was to assess perceived risk of exposure to indoor residential radon among health care providers in urban and rural health centers affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2012-2013, a survey was carried out on 462 health care providers to assess their awareness and risk perception about exposure to indoor residential radon. Only subjects who had previously heard about radon were asked to answer knowledge-based and risk perception questions and report source of knowledge, willingness to test and willingness to pay for radon test kits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 67% of responders had heard about radon before this study and of these, 83.5 % recognized it as being hazardous and 34.5 % identified lung cancer as the main health outcome of exposure to radon. Overall, 33% of 310 subjects had knowledgeable awareness. Seventy percent of responders who had previously heard about radon, had high perceived risk and they were more willing to test their houses and more willing to pay for radon test kits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Having knowledge about radon and perceiving it as a risk had a significant association with willing to take relevant health related behaviors. Furthermore, risk perception contributes to willing to spend more money when health is a concern. Education of health care providers seems to be a pre-requisite to public campaigns on radon awareness and testing.
authors.affiliation: Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Narjes
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hazar
authors.affiliation: Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mojgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karbakhsh
authors.affiliation: Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Masud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yunesian
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of public health, knowledge utilization research center, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Saharnaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nedjat
authors.affiliation: Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Kazem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Naddafi
keywords: Perceived risk; Radon; Risk; Willingness to pay; Willingness to test