By Margaret Henderson
“Improving Voluntary Residential Radon Mitigation: Fort Collins Behavioral Study,” a Colorado webinar on the Fort Collins program to encourage mitigation of high radon levels provides a discussion of the mitigation successes and the study methods. The presentation explains the study done using Community Based Social Marketing, a data driven approach to changing behavior. The Colorado Healthy Housing Coalition sponsored the webinar, which addressed the project that was funded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment and the City of Fort Collins.
The recorded webinar, conducted in October 2105, is available on-line at
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/radon-webinar
The study sought to determine how many homeowners were mitigating homes when test results exceeded the 4 pCi/L recommended EPA action level in Fort Collins, a progressive place for radon programming.
The methodology used was Community Based Social Marketing. The methodology uses data and strategies to change behavior. Starting with an end goal of encouraging mitigation, the study was designed considering:
• barriers and benefits;
• placement of information;
• messages;
• campaign; and
• evaluation of results.
Findings indicated from data collected that 25% of those with elevated levels mitigated in 1 month and 90% did within 9 months. Data from a private business firm indicated that 72% did mitigate within a year.
Factors or predictors of mitigations included having children in the home or having a person in the home with lung problems. Barriers included cost and its uncertainty
and trust about health effects and contractors. For a full discussion of the study and Community Based Social Marketing, visit the website. For further information, contact:
Chrystine (Chrys) Kelley
Radon Program coordinator
303-692-3442
1-800-846-3986
chrys.kelley@state.co.us
United States