The Behavioral Response to Personalized Genetic Information: Will Genetic Risk Profiles Motivate Individuals and Families to Choose More Healthful Behaviors?

Abstract

This report describes the use of information emerging from genetic discovery to motivate risk-reducing health behaviors. Most research to date has evaluated the effects of information related to rare genetic variants on screening behaviors, in which genetic risk feedback has been associated consistently with improved screening adherence. The limited research with common genetic variants suggests that genetic information, when based on single-gene variants with low-risk probabilities, has little impact on behavior. The effect on behavioral outcomes of more realistic testing scenarios in which genetic risk is based on numerous genetic variants is largely unexplored. Little attention has been directed to matching genetic information to the literacy levels of target audiences. Another promising area for research is consideration of using genetic information to identify risk shared within kinship networks and to expand the influence of behavior change beyond the individual.

The effects of learning about one’s own genetic susceptibility to alcoholism: a randomized experiment

“…[23][24][25][26] Some researchers suggest that increased disease risk, which may be rooted in genetic susceptibility information, should increase vigilant behaviors. 40 Others have pointed out that the increased fatalism that often accompanies genetic attributions may reduce vigilant behaviors as the genetic influence is interpreted as destiny. 9 Research aimed at reconciling these inconsistencies is needed, as is further theoretical development to examine the moderators involved in behavioral changes following indication of genetic susceptibility.…”

Patient compliance based on genetic medicine: a literature review

“…Benefit to the individual is expected to be highest if one can combine and interpret the information about family history, genomic, personal environment as well as metabolomics. The combination of technological advances in genetic testing, environmental assessment, and new routes of communication might lead to new understandings of genetic risk and subsequent favorably influenced health behavior (McBride et al 2010). Compliance will remain dependent on the interaction between patient and physician or other medical personnel.…”

“…Marteau and Lerman (2001) reviewed evidence concerning behavioral responses to genetic information on risk and came to the conclusion that knowledge of DNA-derived information about health risks does not increase motivation to change behavior beyond that achieved with nongenetic information. In a critical review by McBride et al (2010) on the behavioral response to personalized genetic information, genetic information with low numerical risk was observed to have little impact on behavior.…”

Genetic susceptibility testing for chronic disease and intention for behavior change in healthy young adults

“…It is unknown whether genotype information might have particular salience for young adults, who are more likely to have greater genetic knowledge than older adults (Ashida et al 2011). Moreover, because genotype is shared within families, it may facilitate health behavior change within social networks (Centola 2011;McBride et al 2010). Because knowledge alone is not necessarily sufficient to effect health behavior change, further research will need to examine how genetic risk information might interact with the barriers to physical activity and dietary improvement faced by young adults face, particularly those with poor baseline behaviors.…”

“…Advances in genetic technology have uncovered hundreds of genetic loci associated with an increased risk of many complex conditions (National Human Genome Research Institute 2012). The current literature does not support the general use of genetic risk information to motivate behavior change (Marteau et al 2010;McBride et al 2010;Grant et al 2013). A recent review of the effects of communicating genetic susceptibility results found mixed evidence on whether such testing motivates smoking cessation or improvement in diet or physical activity (Marteau et al 2010).…”