• G Baldwin, E Frank, and B Fielding.
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-3219, USA.
• Am J Prev Med. 1998 Jul 1; 15 (1): 49-53.

IntroductionThese analyses were designed to elucidate U.S. physicians' perception of residential radon risk, as measured by the prevalence of residential radon testing using a representative sample of U.S. women physicians from the Women Physicians' Health Study database. In addition, characteristics of women physicians who were more likely to have conducted a residential radon test were identified.MethodsA random sample (n = 4,501 respondents) of U.S. women physicians aged 30 to 70 was obtained in the Women Physicians' Health Study. Analyses were conducted using SUDAAN.ResultsThe overall prevalence of residential radon testing among respondents was 18%, 2- to 6-fold higher than any estimate of residential radon testing in the general population. The strongest relationship with radon testing observed through logistic regression was with marital status; age, ethnicity, and region of residence were also related.ConclusionThe study demonstrates that although U.S. women physicians are more likely to have conducted a personal residential radon test than the general population, 82% report not having done so. Increasing the awareness of physicians about the health risks associated with prolonged radon exposure will be essential if they are to play a role in addressing this important public health problem.

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