Work

The ticking time-bomb. Health literacy in the context of genetic risk prediction in familial breast-ovarian cancer; A qualitative study

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: Personalised methods of predicting breast and ovarian cancer risk through genetic testing increasingly demand a person's understanding and critical appraisal of risk-related information, as well as decision-making and acting upon disclosure of a positive test result. The current study aims at understanding health literacy (HL) among persons at risk of developing familial breast-ovarian cancer (FBOC) from a bottom-up perspective-incorporating their viewpoints into the research process. Its qualitative design integrates an ethnographic-narrative approach and findings from 10 narrative interviews with women who have undergone genetic testing, analysed by using reflexive grounded theory. The collected data reveal the entanglement of the women's perceptions concerning the risk of getting ill, their identity, and their strategies of managing health. The analysis of this interplay provides an empirical basis for approaching HL in its communicative dimension, considering individuals' understandings of health and illness, and emphasizing the role of critical HL.

Source: Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare

DOI: 10.4081/qrmh.2021.9647

Authors: Mariya Lorke, Laura Harzheim, Kerstin Rhiem, Christiane Woopen, Saskia Jünger

Institutions: University of Cologne, University Hospital Cologne

Language: English

Topic: Health Literacy and Information Accessibility

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $900