TY - JOUR
T1 - Cure or Carcinogen A Framing Analysis of European Radon Spa Websites
AU - Geysmans, Robbe
AU - Perko, Tanja
AU - Keser, Marjana
AU - Pölzl-Viol, Christiane
AU - Fojiková, Ivana
AU - Mihók, Peter
N1 - Score=10
PY - 2022/4/22
Y1 - 2022/4/22
N2 - Objectives: Radon, a radioactive gas, is among the leading causes of lung-cancer worldwide. While public health authorities emphasize radon’s health risks, there are spas across Europe which claim health benefits of radon. This study investigates how websites of European radon spas frame radon gas, in order to understand the potential controversy between “radon as carcinogen” and “radon as cure,” and its potential impact on public health interventions.
Methods: A two-phased frame analysis of websites of radon spas (n = 26) situated in the European Union.
Results: Five frames are identified, which present radon as a 1) source of health, 2) natural gas, 3) (non) risk, 4) luxury and 5) fountain of youth. These five partly overlapping frames are at times in clear contrast with the ways in which radon is presented in a public health context.
Conclusion: Being aware of the existence and contents of radon frames, which potentially challenge or contradict public health interventions, helps responsible authorities in designing more effective campaigns and interventions.
AB - Objectives: Radon, a radioactive gas, is among the leading causes of lung-cancer worldwide. While public health authorities emphasize radon’s health risks, there are spas across Europe which claim health benefits of radon. This study investigates how websites of European radon spas frame radon gas, in order to understand the potential controversy between “radon as carcinogen” and “radon as cure,” and its potential impact on public health interventions.
Methods: A two-phased frame analysis of websites of radon spas (n = 26) situated in the European Union.
Results: Five frames are identified, which present radon as a 1) source of health, 2) natural gas, 3) (non) risk, 4) luxury and 5) fountain of youth. These five partly overlapping frames are at times in clear contrast with the ways in which radon is presented in a public health context.
Conclusion: Being aware of the existence and contents of radon frames, which potentially challenge or contradict public health interventions, helps responsible authorities in designing more effective campaigns and interventions.
KW - Public healt
KW - Health communication
KW - Radon
KW - Frame analysis
KW - Spas
KW - Radon spa
UR - https://ecm.sckcen.be/OTCS/llisapi.dll/open/49055098
U2 - 10.3389/ijph.2022.1604559
DO - 10.3389/ijph.2022.1604559
M3 - Article
SN - 1661-8564
VL - 67
SP - 1
EP - 7
JO - International Journal of Public Health
JF - International Journal of Public Health
M1 - 1604559
ER -