Ancestry-Specific Hypothetical Genetic Feedback About Lung Cancer Risk in African American Individuals Who Smoke: Cognitive, Emotional, and Motivational Effects on Cessation
Genetic factors play an important role in the risk of developing lung cancer, a disease that disproportionately affects African American (AA) individuals who smoke. Accumulating evidence suggests that specific ancestry-informative genetic markers are predictive of lung cancer risk in AA individuals...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/7/980 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849303512102469632 |
|---|---|
| author | Joel Erblich Khin Htet Camille Ragin Elizabeth Blackman Isaac Lipkus Cherie Erkmen Dina Bitterman |
| author_facet | Joel Erblich Khin Htet Camille Ragin Elizabeth Blackman Isaac Lipkus Cherie Erkmen Dina Bitterman |
| author_sort | Joel Erblich |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Genetic factors play an important role in the risk of developing lung cancer, a disease that disproportionately affects African American (AA) individuals who smoke. Accumulating evidence suggests that specific ancestry-informative genetic markers are predictive of lung cancer risk in AA individuals who smoke. Although testing for, and communication of, genetic risk to patients should impact health and screening, results are mixed. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of genetic risk communication that also included ancestry-specific risk information among African American individuals who smoke. Using an experimental design, African American individuals who smoke (n = 166) were assigned randomly to receive hypothetical genetic test results that indicated (1) low vs. high genetic risk for lung cancer (“Risk”) and (2) European vs. African Ancestry (“Ancestry”). We hypothesized that participants who had been told that they were both at high risk for lung cancer based on genetic markers prominent in African persons at risk of lung cancer, and that they have African ancestry, would exhibit increases in cognitive (perceived lung cancer risk), emotional (cancer worry and psychological distress), and motivational (motivation to quit smoking) factors shown to predict longer-term health behavior change. Results revealed significant and moderate-to-large effects of Risk for all outcomes. There was also a significant Ancestry effect on perceived lung cancer risk: increased risk perceptions among participants who learned that they have high African genetic heritage. Path analytic modeling revealed that cognitive and emotional factors mediated the effects of both Risk and Ancestry feedback on motivation to quit smoking. Findings further highlight the importance of incorporating ancestry-specific genetic risk information into genetic counseling sessions, especially in underserved populations, as doing so may impact key cognitive, emotional, and motivational factors critical to behavior change. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8b86732bc2b64d10bb9d943dfbc388f3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-8b86732bc2b64d10bb9d943dfbc388f32025-08-20T03:58:26ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2025-07-0115798010.3390/bs15070980Ancestry-Specific Hypothetical Genetic Feedback About Lung Cancer Risk in African American Individuals Who Smoke: Cognitive, Emotional, and Motivational Effects on CessationJoel Erblich0Khin Htet1Camille Ragin2Elizabeth Blackman3Isaac Lipkus4Cherie Erkmen5Dina Bitterman6Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USADepartment of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USACancer Prevention and Control Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USACancer Prevention and Control Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USADepartment of Psychiatry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USADepartment of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USADepartment of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USAGenetic factors play an important role in the risk of developing lung cancer, a disease that disproportionately affects African American (AA) individuals who smoke. Accumulating evidence suggests that specific ancestry-informative genetic markers are predictive of lung cancer risk in AA individuals who smoke. Although testing for, and communication of, genetic risk to patients should impact health and screening, results are mixed. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of genetic risk communication that also included ancestry-specific risk information among African American individuals who smoke. Using an experimental design, African American individuals who smoke (n = 166) were assigned randomly to receive hypothetical genetic test results that indicated (1) low vs. high genetic risk for lung cancer (“Risk”) and (2) European vs. African Ancestry (“Ancestry”). We hypothesized that participants who had been told that they were both at high risk for lung cancer based on genetic markers prominent in African persons at risk of lung cancer, and that they have African ancestry, would exhibit increases in cognitive (perceived lung cancer risk), emotional (cancer worry and psychological distress), and motivational (motivation to quit smoking) factors shown to predict longer-term health behavior change. Results revealed significant and moderate-to-large effects of Risk for all outcomes. There was also a significant Ancestry effect on perceived lung cancer risk: increased risk perceptions among participants who learned that they have high African genetic heritage. Path analytic modeling revealed that cognitive and emotional factors mediated the effects of both Risk and Ancestry feedback on motivation to quit smoking. Findings further highlight the importance of incorporating ancestry-specific genetic risk information into genetic counseling sessions, especially in underserved populations, as doing so may impact key cognitive, emotional, and motivational factors critical to behavior change.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/7/980genetic counselinglung cancerrisk perceptionshealth behaviorsmokingexperiment |
| spellingShingle | Joel Erblich Khin Htet Camille Ragin Elizabeth Blackman Isaac Lipkus Cherie Erkmen Dina Bitterman Ancestry-Specific Hypothetical Genetic Feedback About Lung Cancer Risk in African American Individuals Who Smoke: Cognitive, Emotional, and Motivational Effects on Cessation Behavioral Sciences genetic counseling lung cancer risk perceptions health behavior smoking experiment |
| title | Ancestry-Specific Hypothetical Genetic Feedback About Lung Cancer Risk in African American Individuals Who Smoke: Cognitive, Emotional, and Motivational Effects on Cessation |
| title_full | Ancestry-Specific Hypothetical Genetic Feedback About Lung Cancer Risk in African American Individuals Who Smoke: Cognitive, Emotional, and Motivational Effects on Cessation |
| title_fullStr | Ancestry-Specific Hypothetical Genetic Feedback About Lung Cancer Risk in African American Individuals Who Smoke: Cognitive, Emotional, and Motivational Effects on Cessation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ancestry-Specific Hypothetical Genetic Feedback About Lung Cancer Risk in African American Individuals Who Smoke: Cognitive, Emotional, and Motivational Effects on Cessation |
| title_short | Ancestry-Specific Hypothetical Genetic Feedback About Lung Cancer Risk in African American Individuals Who Smoke: Cognitive, Emotional, and Motivational Effects on Cessation |
| title_sort | ancestry specific hypothetical genetic feedback about lung cancer risk in african american individuals who smoke cognitive emotional and motivational effects on cessation |
| topic | genetic counseling lung cancer risk perceptions health behavior smoking experiment |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/7/980 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joelerblich ancestryspecifichypotheticalgeneticfeedbackaboutlungcancerriskinafricanamericanindividualswhosmokecognitiveemotionalandmotivationaleffectsoncessation AT khinhtet ancestryspecifichypotheticalgeneticfeedbackaboutlungcancerriskinafricanamericanindividualswhosmokecognitiveemotionalandmotivationaleffectsoncessation AT camilleragin ancestryspecifichypotheticalgeneticfeedbackaboutlungcancerriskinafricanamericanindividualswhosmokecognitiveemotionalandmotivationaleffectsoncessation AT elizabethblackman ancestryspecifichypotheticalgeneticfeedbackaboutlungcancerriskinafricanamericanindividualswhosmokecognitiveemotionalandmotivationaleffectsoncessation AT isaaclipkus ancestryspecifichypotheticalgeneticfeedbackaboutlungcancerriskinafricanamericanindividualswhosmokecognitiveemotionalandmotivationaleffectsoncessation AT cherieerkmen ancestryspecifichypotheticalgeneticfeedbackaboutlungcancerriskinafricanamericanindividualswhosmokecognitiveemotionalandmotivationaleffectsoncessation AT dinabitterman ancestryspecifichypotheticalgeneticfeedbackaboutlungcancerriskinafricanamericanindividualswhosmokecognitiveemotionalandmotivationaleffectsoncessation |