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Cheung R, Jolly S, Vimal M, Kim HL, McGonigle I. Who's afraid of genetic tests?: An assessment of Singapore's public attitudes and changes in attitudes after taking a genetic test. BMC Med Ethics 2022; 23:5. [PMID: 35081954 PMCID: PMC8791081 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-022-00744-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As a consequence of precision medicine initiatives, genomic technologies have rapidly spread around the world, raising questions about genetic privacy and the ethics of data sharing. Previous scholarship in bioethics and science and technology studies has made clear that different nations have varying expectations about trust, transparency, and public reason in relation to emerging technologies and their governance. The key aims of this article are to assess genetic literacy, perceptions of genetic testing, privacy concerns, and governing norms amongst the Singapore population by collecting surveys. METHODS This study investigated genetic literacy and broad public attitudes toward genetic tests in Singapore with an online public survey (n = 560). To assess potential changes in attitudes following receipt of results from a genetic test, we also surveyed undergraduate students who underwent a genetic screen as part of a university class before and after they received their test results (n = 25). RESULTS Public participants showed broad support for the use of genetic tests; scored an average of 48.9% in genetic literacy; and expressed privacy concerns over data sharing and a desire for control over their genetic data. After taking a genetic test and receiving genetic test results, students reported less fear of genetic tests while other attitudes did not change significantly. CONCLUSION These findings highlight the potential of genetic education and active engagement with genetic testing to increase support and participation in genomic projects, PM, and biobanking initiatives; and they suggest that data privacy protections could potentially reduce discrimination by giving participants control over who can access their data. More specifically, these findings and the dataset we provide may be helpful in formulating culturally sensitive education programs and regulations concerning genomic technologies and data privacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Cheung
- School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 48 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, Singapore, 639818
| | - Shreshtha Jolly
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, Singapore, 637551
| | - Manoj Vimal
- School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 48 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, Singapore, 639818
| | - Hie Lim Kim
- Asian School of the Environment, Singapore Center for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Ave, Singapore, Singapore, 637459
| | - Ian McGonigle
- School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 48 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, Singapore, 639818.
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Easteal S, Arkell RM, Balboa RF, Bellingham SA, Brown AD, Calma T, Cook MC, Davis M, Dawkins HJS, Dinger ME, Dobbie MS, Farlow A, Gwynne KG, Hermes A, Hoy WE, Jenkins MR, Jiang SH, Kaplan W, Leslie S, Llamas B, Mann GJ, McMorran BJ, McWhirter RE, Meldrum CJ, Nagaraj SH, Newman SJ, Nunn JS, Ormond-Parker L, Orr NJ, Paliwal D, Patel HR, Pearson G, Pratt GR, Rambaldini B, Russell LW, Savarirayan R, Silcocks M, Skinner JC, Souilmi Y, Vinuesa CG, Baynam G. Equitable Expanded Carrier Screening Needs Indigenous Clinical and Population Genomic Data. Am J Hum Genet 2020; 107:175-182. [PMID: 32763188 PMCID: PMC7413856 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2020.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Expanded carrier screening (ECS) for recessive monogenic diseases requires prior knowledge of genomic variation, including DNA variants that cause disease. The composition of pathogenic variants differs greatly among human populations, but historically, research about monogenic diseases has focused mainly on people with European ancestry. By comparison, less is known about pathogenic DNA variants in people from other parts of the world. Consequently, inclusion of currently underrepresented Indigenous and other minority population groups in genomic research is essential to enable equitable outcomes in ECS and other areas of genomic medicine. Here, we discuss this issue in relation to the implementation of ECS in Australia, which is currently being evaluated as part of the national Government's Genomics Health Futures Mission. We argue that significant effort is required to build an evidence base and genomic reference data so that ECS can bring significant clinical benefit for many Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians. These efforts are essential steps to achieving the Australian Government's objectives and its commitment "to leveraging the benefits of genomics in the health system for all Australians." They require culturally safe, community-led research and community involvement embedded within national health and medical genomics programs to ensure that new knowledge is integrated into medicine and health services in ways that address the specific and articulated cultural and health needs of Indigenous people. Until this occurs, people who do not have European ancestry are at risk of being, in relative terms, further disadvantaged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Easteal
- National Centre for Indigenous Genomics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
| | - Ruth M Arkell
- John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Renzo F Balboa
- National Centre for Indigenous Genomics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Shayne A Bellingham
- National Centre for Indigenous Genomics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Alex D Brown
- Aboriginal Health Equity, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Tom Calma
- Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Matthew C Cook
- Department of Immunology, Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT 2606, Australia
| | - Megan Davis
- UNSW Law, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Hugh J S Dawkins
- HBF Health Limited, Perth, WA 6000, Australia; School of Medicine, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia; Sir Walter Murdoch School of Policy and International Affairs, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia; Division of Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6008, Australia; Centre for Population Health Research, Curtin University of Technology, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Marcel E Dinger
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Michael S Dobbie
- National Centre for Indigenous Genomics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia; John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Ashley Farlow
- National Centre for Indigenous Genomics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia; Melbourne Integrative Genomics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Kylie G Gwynne
- Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2113, Australia
| | - Azure Hermes
- National Centre for Indigenous Genomics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Wendy E Hoy
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Misty R Jenkins
- Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; La Trobe Institute of Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Simon H Jiang
- Department of Immunology, Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT 2606, Australia
| | - Warren Kaplan
- Informatics, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Stephen Leslie
- National Centre for Indigenous Genomics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia; Melbourne Integrative Genomics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Bastien Llamas
- National Centre for Indigenous Genomics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia; Centre of Excellence in Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, School of Biological Sciences, The Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Graham J Mann
- John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Brendan J McMorran
- John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Rebekah E McWhirter
- Centre for Law and Genetics, Faculty of Law, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
| | | | - Shivashankar H Nagaraj
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Saul J Newman
- Biological Data Science Institute, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Jack S Nunn
- Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Lyndon Ormond-Parker
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Neil J Orr
- Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Devashi Paliwal
- National Centre for Indigenous Genomics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia; John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Hardip R Patel
- National Centre for Indigenous Genomics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Glenn Pearson
- Aboriginal Health, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Greg R Pratt
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Boe Rambaldini
- Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Lynette W Russell
- Centre of Excellence in Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Monash Indigenous Studies Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Ravi Savarirayan
- Victorian Clinical Genetic Services, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, and University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Matthew Silcocks
- National Centre for Indigenous Genomics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia; Melbourne Integrative Genomics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - John C Skinner
- Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Yassine Souilmi
- National Centre for Indigenous Genomics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Carola G Vinuesa
- John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Gareth Baynam
- Genetic Services of Western Australia, Department of Health, Government of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6004, Australia; The Western Australian Register of Developmental Anomalies, Department of Health, Government of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6004, Australia; School of Medicine, Division of Paediatrics and Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
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