Mark A. Hall|Jean McEwen|James C. Barton|Ann P. Walker|Edmund G. Howe|Jacob A. Reiss|Tara E. Power|Shellie Ellis|Diane C. Tucker|Barbara Harrison|Gordon D. McLaren|Andrea Ruggiero|Elizabeth J. Thomson
Concerns in a primary care population about genetic discrimination by insurers
Wake Forest University|National Human Genome Research Institute|National Institutes of Health|University of California, Irvine|Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences|Kaiser Permanente|London Health Sciences Centre|Wake Forest University|University of Alabama at Birmingham|Howard University|VA Long Beach Healthcare System|University of California, Irvine|Wake Forest University|National Human Genome Research Institute|National Institutes of Health
purposefear genetic discrimination might deter participation research therapy major impetus laws limiting insurers use genetic information yet little information extent fear general population varies social factorsmethodsthis study measures concern insurance problems relating genetic testing part primarycare screening hereditary hemochromatosis iron overload data come multiethnic primary carebased survey 86859 adults five field centers united states al ca dc hi one canada ontario logistic regression used model probability agreeing question genetic testing good idea might trouble getting keeping insuranceresultsoverall 400 participants agreed adjusting characteristics african americans asians much less likely 052 039 hispanics likely 1124 caucasians express concern insurance discrimination participants 65 years old us residents without high school diploma substantially likely concerned ors ranging 1416 participants lower mental health scores education showed nonlinear relationship significantly higher concern among less high school education college degree compared high school graduatesconclusionsconcern genetic discrimination varies substantially race demographic factors nationality one possible explanation lower concern canadians people 64 groups covered social insurance health care medicare however us residents states legal protections genetic discrimination less concern either canadians us residents states legal protections