title: Healthy choices through family history: a community approach to family history awareness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The importance of family health history data in health care is widely acknowledged. Few individuals report having collected this information from their own family.
  
  
  METHODS
  This project implemented a community-based approach to design and pilot a linguistically and culturally appropriate family health history collection toolkit for two minority populations in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The toolkit relied on oral traditions and family stories as a way to successfully introduce genetics education and family health history to these populations. Participants not only found the tool engaging and culturally appropriate, they were also able to obtain information that they were likely to share with their physician.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While limited in scope, this project provides a model to other communities for the design, pilot testing, and implementation of a community-based public health initiative regarding family health histories.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cultural Partnerships, Harrisburg, PA 17110, USA. petruccio@culturalpartnerships.org
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Petruccio
authors.forename: Kenna R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Mills Shaw
authors.forename: Joann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boughman
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Ilana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Harlow
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kruesi
authors.forename: Penny
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kyler
authors.forename: Michele A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lloyd-Puryear
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Leary
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skillman
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Terry
authors.forename: Fredrika
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: McKain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005006:Ethnicity; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D030342:Genetic Diseases, Inborn / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D005826:Genetics, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*