Memon Athar, Hamid Hiba, Mehboob Ayesha, Ovais Muhammad, Wali Zahid, Khayat-Mishne Emma
Scripps College of Communication, School of Communication Studies, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA.
Postgraduate Researcher Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Lifestyle Genom. 2025;18(1):102-115. doi: 10.1159/000546588. Epub 2025 Jul 14.
This study aimed to determine the frequency of genetic testing awareness, the number of individuals who have undergone genetic testing, and the subsequent behavior changes following testing.
The analysis utilized recent data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 6, collected between March and September 2022, from a diverse sample of adults aged 18 and older. Logistic regressions were applied to assess predictors of outcome variables. A p value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Among the 4,631 respondents, 81.6% reported being aware of genetic testing, 28.7% (n = 1,327) had undergone some form of testing, and 16.3% of those tested reported making behavioral changes based on their results. Ancestry-related genetic testing was the most widely recognized and frequently utilized. However, behavioral changes were most commonly reported among individuals who underwent disease-specific genetic testing, especially those who perceived themselves to be at high risk, were motivated to take preventive measures, and received assistance in understanding their results. Within this subgroup, lifestyle modification was the most frequently cited change, followed by adjustments in dietary supplement use, increased health screenings, and changes to medications. Additionally, individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups were more likely than non-Hispanic white respondents to undergo specific types of genetic testing and to report behavior changes in response to the findings.
The study highlights an increasing awareness and involvement in genetic testing, though a smaller percentage of individuals have altered their behavior based on the test results. Additionally, the study identifies genetic literacy as a key factor in predicting behavior changes.
本研究旨在确定基因检测知晓率、接受过基因检测的个体数量以及检测后随之而来的行为变化。
分析使用了来自2022年3月至9月收集的最新健康信息国家趋势调查（HINTS）6的数据，样本为18岁及以上的成年人群体。应用逻辑回归来评估结果变量的预测因素。p值<0.05被认为具有统计学意义。
在4631名受访者中，81.6%报告知晓基因检测，28.7%（n = 1327）接受过某种形式的检测，接受检测的人中16.3%报告根据检测结果做出了行为改变。与血统相关的基因检测是最广为人知且使用最频繁的。然而，行为改变在接受特定疾病基因检测的个体中最为常见，尤其是那些认为自己风险高、有采取预防措施的动机并在理解检测结果方面得到帮助的人。在这个亚组中，生活方式改变是最常提及的改变，其次是调整膳食补充剂的使用、增加健康筛查以及药物调整。此外，少数族裔群体的个体比非西班牙裔白人受访者更有可能接受特定类型的基因检测，并报告因检测结果而做出的行为改变。
该研究强调了对基因检测的认识和参与度不断提高，尽管只有较小比例的个体根据检测结果改变了行为。此外，该研究确定基因素养是预测行为改变的关键因素。
