Defining Genetic Ancestry: Implications for Nurses

Introduction: This paper provides an overview of methods for measuring genetic ancestry, specifically focusing on applications for nurses engaged in research. We describe methods and current tools widely implemented by the research community to introduce nurses who conduct research in the landscape of measuring genetic admixture for individuals and genetic substructure for populations. The intended impact of this paper is to enhance awareness and understanding of the importance of measuring genetic ancestry to control for latent confounding in genetic association studies. Summary of best practices: Measurement of genetic ancestry can prevent confounding in genetic association studies. Conclusions: Nurses approach health from a holistic perspective that includes information about individual, environmental, and social factors. This framework necessitates consideration of individual genetic characteristics and social identity and position. This paper serves as a primer on concepts related to genetic ancestry, including ancestry informative markers, reference populations, and statistical approaches, that nurses engaged in research may incorporate into their study design and implementation.