Family physicians' beliefs about genetic contributions to racial/ethnic and gender differences in health and clinical decision-making.
Greater attention towards genetics as a contributor to group health differences may lead to inappropriate use of race/ethnicity and gender as genetic heuristics and exacerbate health disparities. As part of a web-based survey, 1,035 family physicians (FPs) rated the contribution of genetics and environment to racial/ethnic and gender differences in health outcomes, and the importance of race/ethnicity and gender in their clinical decision-making. FPs attributed racial/ethnic and gender differences in health outcomes equally to environment and genetics. These beliefs were not associated with rated importance of race/ethnicity or gender in clinical decision-making. FPs appreciate the complexity of genetic and environmental influences on health differences by race/ethnicity and gender.
Warshauer-Baker
Esther
E
Social and Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0249, USA.
Bonham
Vence L
VL
Jenkins
Jean
J
Stevens
Nancy
N
Page
Zintesia
Z
Odunlami
Adebola
A
McBride
Colleen M
CM
D001290:Attitude; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D003657:Decision Making; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010358:Patient Participation; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D012737:Sex Factors