Type 2 diabetes familial risk personalization process profiles: Implications for patient-provider communication

Area of Science:

• Medical Science
• Public Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• A positive family history of type 2 diabetes (T2D) increases an individual's lifetime risk.
• Family history awareness can promote risk-reducing behaviors, but personalization of this risk is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how unaffected individuals with a family history of T2D personalize and process their familial risk.
• To identify distinct processes of familial risk perception personalization.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods study involving 109 unaffected adults aged 18-60 with a family history of T2D.
• Collected interview and survey data based on the familial risk perception personalization model.
• Utilized cluster analysis to combine qualitative and quantitative data.

Main Results:

• Identified three distinct clusters representing different familial risk perception personalization processes.
• These clusters highlight varied ways individuals interpret and internalize their genetic predisposition to T2D.
• Demonstrated heterogeneity in risk perception among those with a family history of T2D.

Conclusions:

• Familial risk perception personalization is a complex process with distinct patterns.
• Findings provide a basis for developing tailored interventions for T2D prevention in at-risk populations.
• Understanding personalized risk perception is key to effective T2D risk reduction strategies.