Genetic counseling content: How does it impact health behavior?

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Oncology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Hereditary breast-ovarian cancer (HBOC) necessitates complex decisions regarding screening and surgical interventions.
• The role of genetic counseling content in influencing these health behaviors remains under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between genetic counseling content and health behavior intentions and self-reported screening in women at high risk for HBOC.
• To identify specific cognitive and affective communication elements that impact screening and treatment decisions.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 78 Ashkenazi Jewish women undergoing genetic testing.
• Audiorecorded genetic counseling sessions analyzed using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count.
• Linear mixed models used to assess the impact of counseling content on intentions and self-reported screening.

Main Results:

• Both cognitive and affective content in genetic counseling sessions were significant predictors of health behaviors.
• Counselor cognitive content was linked to ovarian cancer screening adherence.
• An interaction effect showed that combined counselor and participant cognitive content, or counselor affective content, enhanced CA-125 screening.

Conclusions:

• The cognitive and affective components of risk communication during genetic counseling are critical for influencing health behavior decisions.
• Affective elements conveyed by risk communicators can motivate cancer screening actions.
• Understanding these communication dynamics is vital for optimizing decision-making support for women at risk of hereditary cancers.