Public understandings of genetics and health

Clinical Genetics

Volumn 77, Issue 1, 2010, Pages 1-9

  Condit, C M ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA   (United States)

Author keywords

Genetic literacy; Health literacy; Public understanding of genetics; Public understanding of science; Science education

Indexed keywords

DNA;

ATTITUDE TO HEALTH; DNA SEQUENCE; ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR; FAMILY HISTORY; GENE FUNCTION; GENE MUTATION; GENE STRUCTURE; GENETIC ANALYSIS; GENETIC SCREENING; GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY; GENETIC VARIABILITY; GENETICS; GENOTYPE ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION; HEALTH BELIEF; HEREDITY; MEDICAL DECISION MAKING; PERSONAL EXPERIENCE; PHYSICIAN ATTITUDE; PRIORITY JOURNAL; PUBLIC HEALTH; RACE DIFFERENCE; REVIEW; SOCIAL BELIEF; SOCIAL INTERACTION; SOCIOECONOMICS;

ADULT; COMPREHENSION; CONTINENTAL POPULATION GROUPS; DISEASE; EDUCATIONAL STATUS; GENETIC TESTING; GENETICS; HEALTH; HEREDITY; HUMANS; PHENOTYPE;

EID: 73049103194     PISSN: 00099163     EISSN: 13990004     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-0004.2009.01316.x     Document Type: Review

References (75)

1. Sachs L, Taube A, Tishelman C. Risk in numbers-difficulties in the transformation of genetic knowledge from research to people: the case of hereditary cancer. Acta Oncol 2001, 40:445-453.
2. Resta R, Biesecker BB, Bennet RL. A new definition of genetic counseling: National Society of Genetic Counselors' Task Force Report. J Genet Couns 2005, 15:77-83.
3. Bowling BV, Acra EA, Wang L. Development and evaluation of a genetics literacy assessment instrument for undergraduates. Genetics 2008, 178:15-22.
4. Turney J. Signs of life: taking genetic literacy seriously. Biotechnol Genet Eng Rev 1995, 15:181-188.
5. Rose SPR. How to (or not to) communicate science. Biochem Soc Trans 2003, 31:307-312.
6. Cunningham-Burley S. Public knowledge and public trust. Community Genet 2006, 9:204-210.
7. Catz DS, Green NS, Tobin JN. Attitudes about genetics in underserved, culturally diverse populations. Community Genet 2005, 8:161-172.
8. Kessler L, Collier A, Halbert CH. Knowledge about genetics among African Americans. J Genet Couns 2007, 15:191-200.
9. Science and engineering indicators-2002 (NSB-02-1) 2002, National Science Board., chapter 7., Arlington, VA, National Science Foundation
10. Molster CT, Samanek A, O'Leary P. Australian study on public health knowledge of human genetics and health. Public Health Genomics 2009, 12:84-91.
11. Richards M, Ponder M. Lay understanding of genetics: a test of a hypothesis. J Med Genet 1996, 33:1032-1036.
12. De Vries H, Mesters I, van de Steeg H, Honing C. The general public's information needs and perceptions regarding hereditary cancer: an application of the integrated change model. Patient Educ Couns 2005, 56:154-165.
13. Lucke J, Hall W, Ryan B, Owen N. The implications of genetic susceptibility for the prevention of colorectal cancer: a qualitative study of older adults' understanding. Community Genet 2008, 11:283-288.
14. Walter FM, Emery J, Braithwaite D, Marteau TM. Lay understanding of familial risk of common chronic diseases: a systematic review and synthesis of qualitative research. Ann Fam Med 2004, 2(6):583-594.
15. Rothman AJ, Kivniemi MT. Treating people with information: an analysis and review of approaches to communicating health risk information. J Natl Cancer Inst 1999, 25:44-51.
16. Lipkus IM. Numeric, verbal and visual formats of conveying health risks: suggested best practices and future recommendations. Med Decis Making 2007, 27:696-713.
17. Katapodi MC, Aouizerat BE. Do women in the community recognize hereditary and sporadic breast cancer risk factors? Oncol Nurs Forum 2005, 32:617-623.
18. Moore T, Norman P, Harris PR, Makris M. An interpretive phenomenological analysis of adaptation to recurrent venous thrombosis and heritable thrombophilia: the importance of multi-causal models and perceptions of primary and secondary control. J Health Psychol 2008, 13:775-784.
19. Henderson BJ, Maguire BT. Three lay mental models of disease inheritance. Soc Sci Med 2000, 50:293-301.
20. Tessaro I, Smith SL, Rye S. Knowledge and perceptions of diabetes in an Appalachian population. Prev Chronic Dis 2005, 2:A13. http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2005/apr/04_0098.htm, Retrieved from
21. Jorm AF, Korten AE, Jacomb PA, Christensen H, Rodgers B, Pollitt P. Public beliefs about causes and risk factors for depression and schizophrenia. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 1997, 32:143-148.
22. Smerecnik CMR, Mesters I, de Vries NK, de Vries H. Educating the general public about multifactorial genetic disease: applying a theory-based framework to understand current public knowledge. Genet Med 2008, 10:251-258.
23. Condit CM, Gronnvoll M, Landau J, Shen L, Wright L, Harris TM. Believing in both genetic determinism and behavioral action: a materialist framework and implications. Public Underst Sci 2009, 18:730-746.
24. Public attitudes to human genetic information 2001, http://www.hgc.gov.uk/, Human Genetics Commission, London, Human Genetics Commission, Retrived from
25. Lanie AD, Jayaratne TE, Sheldon JP, Kardia SLR. Exploring the public understanding of basic genetic concepts. J Genet Couns 2004, 13:305-320.
26. Condit CM, Parrott RL, Harris TM, Lynch JL, Dubriwny T. The role of " genetics" in popular understandings of race in the United States. Public Underst Sci 2004, 13:249-272.
27. Angermeyer MC, Matschinger H. Public beliefs about schizophrenia and depression: similarities and differences. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2003, 38:526-534.
28. Jayaratne TE, Sheldon JP, Brown TN, Feldbaum M, Pfeffer CA, Petty EM. White Americans' genetic lay theories of race differences and sexual orientation: their relationship with prejudice toward blacks, and gay men and lesbians. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations 2006, 9:77-94.
29. Grunfeld EA, Ramirez AJ, Hunter MS, Richards MA. Women's knowledge and beliefs regarding breast cancer. Br J Cancer 2002, 86:1373-1378.
30. Wonderlick AL, Fine BA. Knowledge of breast cancer genetics among breast cancer patients and first-degree relatives of affected individuals. J Genet Couns 1997, 6:111-130.
31. Rose A, Peters N, Shea JA, Armstrong K. The association between knowledge and attitudes about genetic testing for cancer risk in the United States. J Health Commun 2005, 10:309-321.
32. Carpenter V, Colwell B. Cancer knowledge, self-efficacy, and cancer screening behaviors among Mexican-American women. J Cancer Educ 1995, 10:217-222.
33. Bluman LG, Rimer BK, Sterba KR. Attitudes, knowledge, risk perceptions and decision-making among women with breast and/or ovarian cancer considering testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 and their spouses. Psychooncology 2003, 12:410-418.
34. Wong BM, Garcia Y, Barr A, Glazier RH, Abramson BL. Cardiovascular risk factor awareness in a disadvantaged inner-city population-implications for preventive strategies. Can J Cardiol 2008, 24:677-682.
35. Pham CT, McPhee SJ. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of breast and cervical cancer screening among Vietnamese women. J Cancer Educ 1992, 7:305-310.
36. Phillips JM, Mamede MV. Breast cancer and BSE knowledge among Brazilian women: implications for breast health education. J Multicult Nurs Health 1999, 5:34-39.
37. Wampler NS, Ryschon T, Manson SM, Buchwald D. Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding breast cancer among American Indian women from the Northern Plains. J Appl Gerontol 2006, 25:44S-59S. (Suppl 1):
38. Weatherly-White RCA, Eiserman W, Beddoe M, Vanerberg R. Perceptions, expectations, and reactions to cleft lip and palate surgery in native populations: a pilot study in rural India. Cleft Palate Craniofac J 2005, 42:560-564.
39. Al Shafaee MA, Al-Shukaili S, Rizvi SGA. Knowledge and perceptions of diabetes in a semi-urban Omani population. BMC Public Health 2008, 8:249.
40. Donovan KA, Tucker DC. Knowledge about genetic risk for breast cancer and perceptions of genetic testing in a sociodemographically diverse sample. J Behav Med 2000, 23(1):15-36.
41. Sussner KM, Thompson HS, Valdimarsdottir HB, Redd WH, Jandorf L. Acculturation and familiarity with, attitudes towards and beliefs about genetic testing for cancer risk within Latinas in East Harlem, New York City. J Genet Couns 2009, 18:60-71.
42. Hunt K, Emslie C, Watt G. Lay constructions of a family history of heart disease: potential for misunderstandings in the clinical encounter? Lancet 2001, 357:1168-1171.
43. Yang Q, Khoury MJ, Friedman JM, Flanders WD. On the use of population attributable fraction to determine sample size for case-control studies of gene-environment interaction. Epidemiology 2003, 14:161-167.
44. Condit CM, Parrott RL, Harris TM, Parens E, Chapman AR, Press N. Lay people and behavioral genetics. Wrestling with behavioral genetics: science, ethics, and public conversation 2006, 286-308. In:, eds., Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University Press
45. Horwitz J. Media portrayals and health inequalities: a case study of characterizations of gene × environment interactions. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2005, 60:S48-S52.
46. Cheng Y, Condit CM, Flannery D. Depiction of gene-environment relationships in online medical recommendations. Genet Med 2008, 10:450-456.
47. French DP, Marteau TM, Senior V, Weinman J. Perceptions of multiple risk factors for heart attacks. Psychol Rep 2000, 87:681-687.
48. Morris J, Gwinn M, Clyne M, Khoury MJ. Public knowledge regarding the role of genetic susceptibility to environmentally induced health conditions. Community Genet 2003, 6:22-28.
49. Harris PR, Griffin DW, Murray S. Testing the limits of optimistic bias: event and person moderators in a multilevel framework. J Pers Soc Psychol 2008, 95:1225-1237.
50. Parsons E, Atkinson P. Lay constructions of genetic risk. Sociol Health Illn 1992, 14:437-455.
51. Salant T, Ganschow PS, Olopade OI, Lauderdale DS. 'Why take it if you don't have anything?' Breast cancer risk perceptions and prevention choices at a public hospital. J Gen Intern Med 2006, 21:779-785.
52. Marteau TM, Senior V, Humphries SE. Psychological impact of genetic testing for familial hypercholesterolemia within a previously aware population: a randomized control trial. Am J Med Genet A 2004, 128A:285-293.
53. Phelan JC, Yang LH, Cruz-Rojas R. Effects of attributing serious mental illnesses to genetic causes on orientations to treatment. Psychiatr Serv 2006, 27:382-387.
54. Stockdale A. Public understanding of genetics and Alzheimer disease. Genet Test 1999, 3:139-145.
55. Condit CM, Achter P, Lauer I, Sefcovic E. The changing meaning of " mutation": a contextualized discourse study. Hum Mutat 2002, 19:69-75.
56. Baty BJ, Kinney AY, Ellis SM. Developing culturally sensitive cancer genetics communication aids for African Americans. Am J Med Genet 2003, 118A:146-155.
57. Ando N, Saito OY, Takemura K, Takada F, Iwamitsu Y. Knowledge and impressions regarding the concept of mutation among Japanese university students. Clin Genet 2008, 74:75-81.
58. Condit CM, Lynch JA, Dubriwny T, Parrott RL. Lay understanding and preference against use of the term " mutation" . Am J Med Genet A 2004, 130A:245-250.
59. Lynch J, Condit C. Genes and race in the news: a test of competing theories of news coverage. Am J Health Behav 2006, 30:125-135.
60. Bates BR, Poirot K, Harris TM, Achter PJ, Condit CM. Evaluating direct-to-consumer marketing of race-based pharmacogenomics: a focus group study of public understandings of applied genomic medication. J Health Commun 2004, 9:541-559.
61. Condit CM, Templeton T, Bates BR, Bevan JL, Harris TM. Attitudinal barriers to delivery of race-targeted pharmacogenomics among informed lay persons. Genet Med 2003, 5:385-392.
62. Bevan JL, Lynch JA, Dubriwny TN. Informed lay preferences for delivery of racially varied pharmacogenomics. Genet Med 2003, 5:393-399.
63. Davison C, Smith GD, Frankel S. Lay epidemiology and the prevention paradox: the implications of coronary candidacy for health education. Sociol Health Illn 1991, 13:1-19.
64. Prior L. Belief, knowledge and expertise: the emergence of the lay expert in medical sociology. Sociol Health Illn 2003, 25:41-57.
65. Wynne B. Misunderstood misunderstanding: social identities and public uptake of science. Public Underst Sci 1992, 1:281-304.
66. Rose AL, Peters N, Shea JA, Armstrong K. Attitudes and misconceptions about predictive genetic testing for cancer risk. Community Genet 2005, 8:145-151.
67. Scheuner MT, Sieverding P, Shekelie PG. Delivery of genomic medicine for common chronic adult diseases: a systematic review. JAMA 2008, 299(11):1320-1334.
68. Edwards A, Gray J, Clarke A. Interventions to improve risk communication in clinical genetics: systematic review. Patient Educ Couns 2008, 71:4-25.
69. Nordgren A, Juengst ET. Can genomics tell me who I am? Essentialistic rhetoric in direct-to-consumer DNA testing. New Genet Soc 2009, 28:157-172.
70. Hudson K, Javitt G, Burke W, Byers P. ASHG statement* on direct-to-consumer genetic testing in the United States. Obstet Gynecol 2007, 110:1392-1395.
71. Kasparian NA, Wakefield CE, Meiser B. Assessment of psychosocial outcomes in genetic counseling research: an overview of available measurement scales. J Genet Couns 2007, 16:693-712.
72. Erby LH, Roter D, Larson S, Cho J. The Rapid Assessment of Literacy in Genetics (REAL-G): a means to assess literacy deficits in the context of genetics. Am J Med Genet A 2008, 146A:174-181.
73. Decruyenaere M, Evers-Kiebooms G, Welkenhuysen M, Denayer L, Claes E. Cognitive representations of breast cancer, emotional distress and preventive health behaviour: a theoretical perspective. Psychooncology 2000, 9:528-536.
74. Shaw JS, Bassi KL. Lay attitudes toward genetic testing for susceptibility to inherited diseases. J Health Psychol 2001, 6:405.
75. Condit CM, Railsback LB. Transilience: bridging the diversity of knowledge. http://www.gly.uga.edu/railsback/Transilience/Transilience.html, Retrieved from