Abstract
Effective communication between young adults and their healthcare providers can contribute to early detection of risk for
developing cancer and establishment of lifelong habits for engagement in healthcare and health promotion behaviors. Our objectives
were to examine factors influencing family health history discussions between college students and physicians and factors
associated with perceptions about who is responsible for initiating such discussions. Data from an internet-based study of
632 college students were analyzed. Approximately 60% of college student participants reported they had discussed their family
health history with a physician. The perception that physicians are responsible for initiating family health history discussions
was associated with being non-White and less than completely knowledgeable about cancer. Having a discussion with a physician
was associated with being female, having a regular physician, perceiving genetics as a risk for developing cancer, and having
a family member diagnosed with cancer. Understanding variation among college students’ perceptions about their role in initiating
health-history-related discussions and characteristics of those who have or have not discussed family health issues with physicians
can inform healthcare practice to foster optimal healthcare interactions in early adulthood.
developing cancer and establishment of lifelong habits for engagement in healthcare and health promotion behaviors. Our objectives
were to examine factors influencing family health history discussions between college students and physicians and factors
associated with perceptions about who is responsible for initiating such discussions. Data from an internet-based study of
632 college students were analyzed. Approximately 60% of college student participants reported they had discussed their family
health history with a physician. The perception that physicians are responsible for initiating family health history discussions
was associated with being non-White and less than completely knowledgeable about cancer. Having a discussion with a physician
was associated with being female, having a regular physician, perceiving genetics as a risk for developing cancer, and having
a family member diagnosed with cancer. Understanding variation among college students’ perceptions about their role in initiating
health-history-related discussions and characteristics of those who have or have not discussed family health issues with physicians
can inform healthcare practice to foster optimal healthcare interactions in early adulthood.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-12
- DOI 10.1007/s10935-011-0246-8
- Authors
- Matthew Lee Smith, Department of Health Promotion and Behavior, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, 330 River Road, 315 Ramsey Center, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Erica T. Sosa, Department of Health and Kinesiology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Angela K. Hochhalter, Department of Social and Behavioral Health, School of Rural Public Health, Texas A&M, Health Science Center, College Station, TX, USA
- Julie Covin, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Marcia G. Ory, Department of Social and Behavioral Health, School of Rural Public Health, Texas A&M, Health Science Center, College Station, TX, USA
- E. Lisako J. McKyer, Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Journal The Journal of Primary Prevention
- Online ISSN 1573-6547
- Print ISSN 0278-095X