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Examining Factors Influencing Preventative Cancer Genetic Testing Participation: The Role of Online Support, Caregiving, and Gender
ABSTRACT
Background:
Despite its potential to predict and detect early cancer risks, genetic testing remains underutilized by the public. This study, guided by the Health Belief Model, examined key factors influencing an individual’s willingness to undergo genetic testing for cancer, with a particular focus on gender, caregiver status, and participation in online social support groups.
Objective:
To identify the key variable that influences Preventative Cancer Genetic Testing Participation
Methods:
This study uses data collected from the 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 5 Cycle 4) which includes 2,947 respondents representing 199,510,996 U.S. adults aged 18 and older. Multivariable logistic regression and Survey-Weighted Generalized Linear Models (svyglm) were applied to examine the relationship between cancer genetic testing and caregiver status, participation in online support groups, gender, and constructs associated with the Health Belief Model, while controlling for sociodemographic and health-related characteristics.
Results:
Our findings show that women are more likely to undergo cancer genetic testing, with gender moderating the influence of perceived susceptibility (β = 2.54, p < 0.05) and severity (β = 0.94, p < 0.05) on testing decisions. In line with the Health Belief Model, perceived benefits (β = 0.19, p < 0.05) and cues to action (β = 2.86, p < 0.001) increase the likelihood of testing. Results also show that caregivers of cancer patients (β = 1.25, p < 0.05) and those actively participating in online health support groups (β = 0.47, p < 0.05) are also more likely to engage in cancer genetic testing.
Conclusions:
Cancer remains a significant health challenge in the U.S., with 1.8 million new cases and 606,520 deaths annually. Early detection is vital for treatment success. This study investigates factors influencing the decision to undergo genetic testing for cancer. Targeted campaigns, particularly in online support groups directed at men, can promote early detection and encourage participation in genetic testing. Future research should explore implementing proactive outreach strategies to encourage wider adoption of genetic testing for cancer. Clinical Trial: NA
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Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.