title: Areas of intervention for genetic counselling of dementia: cross-cultural comparison between Italians and Americans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Purposes of this study are: (1) to evaluate attitudes, beliefs and experiences towards dementia among relatives of Italian familial cases; (2) to perform a cross-cultural comparison between Italian and American samples; (3) to identify predictors of intentions to undergo hypothetical genetic testing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 134 relatives of patients affected by familial forms of dementia. We administered tests measuring health psychological styles, social variables, illness perceptions, intentions regarding genetic testing, and perceptions of the pros and cons of genetic testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respondents had a poor Alzheimer's disease knowledge and a low perceived dementia threat. When compared to Americans, Italians reported greater willingness to undergo genetic testing and perceived a different subset of benefits and risks. The strongest predictors of test intention were decisional balance, homemaker status and two beliefs concerning dementia causes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Italians had a poor knowledge of the disease and a low awareness of personal risk of developing dementia. As compared to Americans, they expressed higher intentions to undergo genetic testing and they have a different perception of benefits and risks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Understanding of cultural differences in knowledge, attitudes and perception of the disease is important to design optimal health services and education programs for dementia.
authors.affiliation: NeuroBioGen Lab-Memory Clinic IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio-Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy. gbinetti@fatebenefratelli.it
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Binetti
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benussi
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: Patrizio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pasqualetti
authors.forename: Ching-Fan
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Sheu
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gigola
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lussignoli
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dal Forno
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barbiero
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Corbellini
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Paolo M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Rossini
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghidoni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D015984:Causality; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003657:Decision Making; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D005817:Genetic Counseling / Q000379:methods; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010375:Pedigree; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States