Genetic risk education in reproductive-aged women

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess genetic knowledge in reproductive-aged women and to determine the roles played by their obstetricians in their education. Cross-sectional. A 31 item survey was created and distributed, via an internet survey service, to women between the ages of 18 and 45. The survey included subject demographics, a query regarding the source of subjects’ knowledge of genetics, and a 6 question genetics quiz with 3 basic questions and 3 advanced questions. Subjects were divided into parous and nulliparous, and responses were compared using student's t-test for continuous variables and chi square for proportions. Participants included 207 parous and 221 nulliparous women. There were no differences in demographic characteristics including age and education. Parous women scored significantly higher than nulliparous women on the basic genetics quiz (71% vs 61%, p=0.03). This difference remained but was no longer significant when the 3 difficult questions were included (48% vs 42%). Only 39% of parous and 8% of nulliparous subjects listed their physician as one of their main sources of genetic information. 78% of all subjects stated that they would prefer to get genetic information from their physicians over other sources. Recently parous women scored higher on a genetics assessment quiz than did their nulliparous counterparts, but the majority did not cite their physicians as a main source of information. These patients may have learned more from their physicians than they realized or may have acquired genetic knowledge through alternative resources and self-education. Regardless, all subjects expressed a strong desire to learn about genetic risk from their physicians over other sources. As genetic counseling and testing are becoming increasingly important aspects of obstetrical care, obstetricians should play a critical role in educating their patients.