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An Assessment of Ethnocultural Beliefs Regarding the Causes of Birth Defects and Genetic Disorders
Author(s) -
Cohen Leslie H.,
Fine Beth A.,
Pergament Eugene
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of genetic counseling
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1573-3599
pISSN - 1059-7700
DOI - 10.1023/a:1022812027511
Subject(s) - genetic counseling , public health , genetic disorder , birth order , medicine , clinical psychology , psychology , psychiatry , developmental psychology , environmental health , population , genetics , nursing , disease , pathology , biology
With the expansion of genetic services to various cultural groups, genetic counselors encounter clients who hold diverse beliefs inscribed by their culture about health conditions. Thus, clients may attribute the cause of a birth defect or genetic condition to a culturally‐based health belief. This present study was conducted as a pilot study in order to assess the beliefs about the causes of birth defects and genetic disorders held by women of different ethnocultural backgrounds. This study proposed that women who do not have a family history of a disorder will differ in their knowledge about the cause of a birth defect or genetic disorder compared to women who have an affected child. In addition, this study determined to what extent culturally‐based health beliefs are attributed to being the cause of a birth defect or genetic disorder in the 1990s.