Changes in diet and physical activity following BRCA1/2 testing

The present study prospectively examined change in diet and physical activity behaviors in 115 women undergoing BRCA1/2 gene testing (46 mutation positive, 46 uninformative and 23 definitive negative). Participants completed measures of diet and physical activity at three time points: prior to genetic testing and 1-and 6-months after receipt of genetic test results. Repeated measures analyses examined between-and within-group differences among participants who received BRCA1/2 positive, uninformative, or definitive negative results. There were no within-group differences across time points or between-group differences at any time point for diet or physical activity. Most participants, overall and within each group, did not meet recommended guidelines for fruit and vegetable and dietary fat consumption. These findings suggest that women do not make spontaneous changes in diet and physical activity following the genetic testing and counseling process. A brief intervention may be necessary for patients who are interested in making changes in modifiable risk factors to complement more definitive risk-reduction strategies.