Many people do not think about radon until they are buying or selling a home and testing becomes part of a standard inspection. But this colorless, odorless radioactive gas is a major public health threat: Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and contributes to an estimated 21,000 deaths each year. More widespread home testing could help people better understand their exposure levels and, if necessary, take steps to reduce their risk.

As part of her Master of Public Health training at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Megan Bruns gained hands-on, community-engaged research experience by examining the barriers that prevent people from testing their homes for radon. Working directly on this public health issue with collaborators at the University, she explored factors that may influence whether individuals complete radon testing and how testing rates could be improved, contributing practical insights to efforts aimed at reducing lung cancer risk at the population level.

For Bruns, the project grew out of a broader interest in cancer research and a connection to Professor Heather Nelson, who taught Bruns in Cancer Epidemiology (PUBH6387). In conversations with Professor Nelson, Bruns got the idea to pursue the radon testing study using data from the 10,000 Families Study.

“My ambition behind this project and interest in cancer stem from my background in early-phase cancer clinical trials, which taught me the value of developing life-saving treatments,” she said. Building on that interest, Bruns worked with the 10,000 Families Study team to analyze why some people choose to test their homes for radon while others do not. Specifically, the team examined whether psychological factors, including knowledge about radon and concern about its risks, could predict whether participants successfully completed a home radon test.

“Understanding radon testing patterns is a vital step in improving education and ultimately reducing the number of people exposed to radon—and, hopefully, the number of people who ever have to face a cancer diagnosis in the first place,” Bruns said.

To conduct the study, Bruns and her collaborators analyzed data from 581 Minnesota residents participating in the 10,000 Families Study who agreed to complete a home radon test. Before receiving a test kit, participants answered survey questions about how much they knew about radon and how concerned they were about its health risks. Researchers then tracked whether participants completed and returned the kits for analysis, allowing the team to examine which factors were associated with successful testing.

The study found that about 76% of participants successfully completed and returned their home radon test kits. People with greater knowledge about radon were generally more likely to complete testing, while concern or worry about radon exposure alone did not appear to significantly influence whether people followed through. Older participants and those with children in the home were also more likely to complete testing. The findings suggest that public health campaigns may be most effective when they focus on improving people’s understanding of radon and its risks, particularly in underserved communities where awareness may be lower.

Bruns sees the study as closely aligned with her long-term goals as both a public health researcher and future practitioner. After working with cancer patients, Bruns said she “chose public health because I wanted to make a difference earlier in people’s lives.” By exploring ways to encourage radon testing—and identifying the factors that influence whether people follow through—Bruns is focusing on upstream prevention efforts that can help improve health outcomes across entire communities.

About the 10,000 Families Study
10,000 Families (10KFS) is a study of family health in Minnesota. 10KFS invites families to participate over time with the purpose of understanding the influences of genetics, lifestyle, and environment on health and illness. For a family to become part of the study, at least one member of the family must live in Minnesota and be 18 years of age or older. At least one additional family member of any age must live in Minnesota or in a neighboring state (North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa or Wisconsin). To find out if your family is eligible, please visit our eligibility survey. For more information about what you would need to do as a participant, please visit “What do I need to do?”