RADON AND LUNG CANCER: AWARENESS DEFICITS AND CHALLENGES IN PREVENTION
Keywords:
radon, lung cancer, awareness, environmental prevention, health communication, BulgariaAbstract
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas and one of the leading environmental risk factors for lung cancer, particularly among non-smokers. Despite its proven health impact, public awareness of radon exposure remains extremely limited. This study examines the level of awareness in the Bulgarian population regarding radon as a carcinogenic factor and explores attitudes toward radon testing as a preventive measure. A quantitative analysis was conducted based on data from an online survey with 203 adult respondents. The results reveal significant gaps in public knowledge: 78.8% of participants had never heard of radon, 83.7% were unaware of its link to lung cancer, and 61.1% had never received information from their general practitioner or another health professional. However, 67.5% stated they would be willing to have their home tested for radon if offered a free service
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