Interest in Testing for Genetic Susceptibility to Lung Cancer among Black College Students “At Risk” of Becoming Cigarette Smokers

Abstract

Receptivity to genetic testing for lung cancer susceptibility was assessed among African American college freshmen, who held attitudes favorable towards or had experimented with cigarette smoking. Students (n = 95) completed a telephone survey that assessed beliefs about genetics and lung cancer risk, interest in genetic testing, and expectations about the test outcome. Interest in being tested was moderately high (mean, 5; SD, 2.2; scale of 1-7) and highest among those who believed lung cancer was influenced by genetics (r = 0.22, P < 0.05) and those who expected to be at high risk (r = 0.27, P < 0.05). Overall, 34% thought if tested, the result would show high risk for lung cancer. In multivariate analyses, students' test result expectation was the only significant predictor of interest in testing. Those who believed the test would show them to be at higher risk were thrice more likely to be interested in testing than those who thought the test would show that they were at lower risk (odds ratio, 2.99; confidence interval, 1.03-8.64; P = 0.04). Future research is needed to understand how young adults will respond to genetic susceptibility feedback that confirms or contradicts their expectations about personal risks of smoking.