title: Evaluation of phone-based genetic counselling in African American women using culturally tailored visual aids.
abstract: Genetic counselling (GC) services for inherited breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) are underutilized by African American (AA) women. We sought to evaluate factors associated with knowledge gain in a sample of AA women diagnosed with early-onset breast cancer, in whom GC for HBOC was provided, using a culturally targeted genetic counselling aid (GCA). Through a cancer registry-based study, phone-based GC for HBOC was offered to AA women with breast cancer < or =50. A questionnaire to assess knowledge about HBOC was completed prior to GC. All women were provided a GCA about HBOC developed by the investigative team for use during the GC session. Following GC, a personalized summary letter was mailed to all study participants and the same knowledge questionnaire was completed. A total of 37 study participants completed the pre- and post-GC knowledge questionnaires with significant gains in knowledge following the GC process (p < 0.0001). Statistically significant factors associated with knowledge gain included earlier stage of diagnosis of breast cancer and education level. Our results indicate that phone-based GC supplemented by a culturally targeted visual aid is an effective means of improving knowledge about HBOC in young AA women with invasive breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Moffitt Cancer Center, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Tampa, Florida, USA. tuya.pal@moffitt.org
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pal
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stowe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: J-H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vadaparampil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics*; D001296:Audiovisual Aids; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005817:Genetic Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D012042:Registries; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013689:Telephone