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Li M, Kwok OM, Ma P, Tseng TS, Chen LS. Are College Students Interested in Family Health History Education? A Large Needs Assessment Survey Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:2596. [PMID: 36767961 PMCID: PMC9915439 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Family health history (FHH) is an essential foundation for personalized disease prevention. As the incidence of early-onset chronic diseases is increasing among college students, it is important to provide them with the education required to learn about their FHH. This study aimed to assess college students' interest in receiving FHH education, preferred topics, and desired learning methods. We invited college students to complete an online survey from a large research-intensive university. A total of 2276 college students completed the survey. Nearly half of the participants self-identified as non-Hispanic white (45.5%). Slightly more than half of the sample (53.9%) were not interested in receiving FHH education mainly due to low prioritization. Among those who expressed interest in obtaining FHH education, the three most desired learning topics were the ability to interpret FHH information (76.1%), the application of FHH in disease prevention (72.0%), and FHH information collection strategies (63.6%). Computer-based learning (51.1%) was the most preferred educational method. Moreover, females, older individuals, those who have FHH in first-degree relatives, and participants who were members of racial and ethnic groups showed greater interests in receiving FHH education (ps < 0.05). Strategies to promote college students' awareness, collection, and use of FHH are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Li
- Department of Health Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252, USA
| | - Oi-Man Kwok
- Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Ping Ma
- Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Tung-Sung Tseng
- Behavioral and Community Health Sciences Program, School of Public Health, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Lei-Shih Chen
- Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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Factors Influencing Family Health History Collection among Young Adults: A Structural Equation Modeling. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13040612. [PMID: 35456417 PMCID: PMC9027539 DOI: 10.3390/genes13040612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Family health history (FHH) can serve as an entry point for preventive medicine by providing risk estimations for many common health conditions. College is a critical time for young adults to begin to understand the value of FHH collection, and to establish healthy behaviors to prevent FHH-related diseases. This study seeks to develop an integrated theoretical framework to examine FHH collection behavior and associated factors among college students. A sample of 2670 college students with an average age of 21.1 years completed a web-based survey. Less than half (49.8%) reported actively seeking FHH information from their family members. Respondents’ knowledge about FHH were generally low. Structural equation modeling findings suggested an adequate model fit between our survey data and the proposed integrated theoretical framework. Respondents who were members of racial/ethnic minority groups exhibited higher levels of anxiety and intention to obtain FHH information but had lower confidence in their ability to gather FHH information than non-Hispanic White respondents. Therefore, educational programs designed to enhance the level of young adults’ FHH knowledge, efficacy, and behavior in FHH collection, and change subjective norms are critically needed in the future, especially for these who are members of racial/ethnic minority groups.
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Li M, Zhao S, Young CM, Foster M, Huei-Yu Wang J, Tseng TS, Kwok OM, Chen LS. Family Health History-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Am J Prev Med 2021; 61:445-454. [PMID: 34226092 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT National efforts have advocated for the need to deliver family health history-based interventions to the lay public for more than a decade. Yet, the numbers, characteristics, and outcomes of such interventions are unknown. This first-of-its-kind systematic literature review examines the characteristics and effectiveness of the existing family health history-based interventions. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION The research team systematically searched peer-reviewed articles published between January 2003 and July 2020 in MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS A total of 35 articles met the inclusion criteria. These studies assessed various behaviors, including family health history collection/communication with family members, family health history communication with healthcare providers, healthy diet adoption, physical activity level, uptake of medical screenings and genetic tests, and being proactive in healthcare matters. The average methodologic quality score of the studies was 9.9 (SD=1.6) of a theoretical range from 2 to 16. CONCLUSIONS Many family health history-based interventions exist to examine a variety of behaviors. Yet, there is room for improvement in methodology because few studies used a randomized or quasi-experimental design. In addition, most included studies did not report objective or longer-term outcome data to examine the effectiveness of family health history-based interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Li
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health Professions, Towson University, Towson, Maryland
| | - Shixi Zhao
- Department College of Health Professions, Exercise & Sports Sciences, College of Education & Human Sciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | | | - Margaret Foster
- Medical Science Library, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Judy Huei-Yu Wang
- Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Tung-Sung Tseng
- Behavioral & Community Health Sciences Program, LSU School of Public Health, LSU Health New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Oi-Man Kwok
- Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education & Human Development, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Lei-Shih Chen
- Department of Health & Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
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Allen CG, Duquette D, Guan Y, McBride CM. Applying theory to characterize impediments to dissemination of community-facing family health history tools: a review of the literature. J Community Genet 2020; 11:147-159. [PMID: 31267271 PMCID: PMC7062972 DOI: 10.1007/s12687-019-00424-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Uptake of community-facing family health history (FHH) tools to identify those at highest risk of disease and target prevention efforts has been consistently low. This review uses the diffusion of innovations (DOI) as a framework to organize the FHH evidence base and identify potential strategies to improve uptake of community-facing FHH tools. Methods for this literature review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. We completed systematic searches in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for studies from 2009 to 2017 and hand searched bibliographies of relevant literature to identify additional articles. We abstracted and synthesized results, which were then organized by the DOI including the innovation-decision making process and characteristics of the innovation likely to influence diffusion (e.g., compatibility, relative advantage, complexity, trialability, observa/bility). Of the 290 unique articles identified, 65 were eligible for full-text review after title and abstract screening; a total of 27 were included in the final abstraction. Eleven unique tools were identified. The most commonly used tool was the Surgeon General's My Family Health Portrait (n =9/27). Only six studies directly evaluated participant perceptions shown to be associated with tool uptake. Studies tended to focus on improving compatibility by customizing tools to the target population's needs and use of educational interventions. Results from this review suggest the need to evaluate strategies to increase the pace of uptake of community-facing FHH tools. These include pragmatic trials that compare different approaches to engage and evaluate participant perceptions of the relative advantage and complexity of tools. Ancillary support strategies may include collaborations with community networks to facilitate use and implementation study designs for rigorous evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin G Allen
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30308, USA.
| | - Debra Duquette
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 420 East Superior Street, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Yue Guan
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30308, USA
| | - Colleen M McBride
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30308, USA
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Rooks RN, Ford CD. Family Health History and Behavioral Change among Undergraduate Students: A Mixed Methods Study. Health (London) 2016. [DOI: 10.4236/health.2016.84034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Senier L, Shields M, Lee R, Nicoll L, Falzon D, Wiecek E. Community-Based Family Health History Education: The Role of State Health Agencies in Engaging Medically Underserved Populations in Understanding Genomics and Risk of Chronic Disease. Healthcare (Basel) 2015; 3:995-1017. [PMID: 27417809 PMCID: PMC4934627 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare3040995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Revised: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although family health history (FHH) collection has been recognized as an influential method for assessing a person's risk of chronic disease, studies have shown that people who are low-income, from racial and ethnic minorities, and poorly educated are less likely to collect their FHH or share it with a medical professional. Programs to raise public awareness about the importance of FHH have conventionally targeted patients in primary care clinics or in the general community, but few efforts have been made to coordinate educational efforts across settings. This paper describes a project by the Connecticut Department of Public Health's Genomics Office to disseminate training materials about FHH as broadly as possible, by engaging partners in multiple settings: a local health department, a community health center, and two advocacy organizations that serve minority and immigrant populations. We used a mixed methods program evaluation to examine the efficacy of the FHH program and to assess barriers in integrating it into the groups' regular programming. Our findings highlight how a state health department can promote FHH education among underserved communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Senier
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave Boston, MA 02115, USA.
- Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Michael Shields
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Rachael Lee
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Lauren Nicoll
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Danielle Falzon
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Elyssa Wiecek
- School of Pharmacy, Northeastern University, 140 Fenway, 360 Huntington Ave Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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