Patients' Perspectives on Identity, Ancestry and Genetics

Identity, Ancestry and Genetics: Patients' Perspectives

This study will collect the opinions, understandings and personal health care experiences of multiracial persons of African and European ancestry. Understanding multiracial patients' beliefs and experiences about their race, ethnicity, ancestral origin and the genetic components of diseases can provide important data for developing ways to communicate how human genetic variation is related to self-identified race and ethnicity. The study will:

• Investigate multiracial individuals' beliefs about biological and genetic differences based on race and ethnicity;
• Collect stories of identity, ancestry and clinical experiences of multiracial individuals with one parent of African ancestry and one parent of European ancestry;
• Investigate multiracial patients' experiences regarding family health history and communication of genetic risk of disease.

Persons 21 years of age or older in the Atlanta, Georgia, or Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas who are from a multiracial background and have used health care services in the last 2 years may be eligible for this study. Participants are interviewed one-on-one for about 2 hours to gather information about their background, family ancestry, self-identity, race and ethnicity, health care interactions and genetics and health. Each participant completes a short questionnaire before and after the interview.

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Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Family History

Detailed Description

The complex relationships between self-identified race, ethnicity, ancestral origin and the genetic components of diseases demands a better understanding of patients' conceptions of these identifiers and how they impact their health. The lived experiences of multiracial individuals can provide valuable perspectives on questions of race and ethnicity, the collection of ancestral information in assessing health history and communication of racial or ethnic specific disease risk. Understanding patients' beliefs and experiences will provide important data for developing ways to communicate how human genetic variation is related to self identified race and ethnicity. We aim to conduct semi-structured in-depth interviews with adults at least 21 years of age who identify as having a multiracial background with African and European ancestry. The study will include participants from the Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas. This preliminary study uses qualitative methods to capture the personal stories of identity, ancestry and clinical experiences from a population that has not been adequately researched.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 22

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Maryland
    • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
      • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 21 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

• EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Individuals will be excluded from the study if they do not have at least one parent that self-identifies as Black or has African ancestry and another parent that self identifies as White or has European ancestry. Other exclusion criteria include: (1) under 21 years of age, (2) not had at least two clinical visits with a health care professional in the last year and (3) not more than one individual per family.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Jorde LB, Wooding SP. Genetic variation, classification and 'race'. Nat Genet. 2004 Nov;36(11 Suppl):S28-33. doi: 10.1038/ng1435.
• Collins FS. What we do and don't know about 'race', 'ethnicity', genetics and health at the dawn of the genome era. Nat Genet. 2004 Nov;36(11 Suppl):S13-5. doi: 10.1038/ng1436.
• Bonham VL, Warshauer-Baker E, Collins FS. Race and ethnicity in the genome era: the complexity of the constructs. Am Psychol. 2005 Jan;60(1):9-15. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.60.1.9.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: April 19, 2006
• Study Completion: February 23, 2011

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 1, 2006
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 1, 2006
• First Posted (Estimate): August 2, 2006

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 2, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 30, 2017
• Last Verified: February 23, 2011

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Interview; Family History; Human Genetic Variation; Multiracial Populations; Admixture; Physician-Patient Communication; Ancestry; Self-Identified Multiracial Adults
• Other Study ID Numbers: 060148; 06-HG-0148