Exploring the role of family history and lay understanding of genetics on the self‐management of disease

lindsay s (2010)  Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness 2 , 135–143
 Exploring the role of family history and lay understanding of genetics on the self‐management of disease Aims and objectives.  This project drew a sample from coronary heart disease registries ( n  = 108) to explore how people incorporate knowledge of lay genetics and family history of a disease to manage their health. Questionnaires and focus groups were analysed to explore whether having a family history of coronary heart disease (CHD) influenced how patients’ self‐managed their health. Background.  Although evidence suggests that genes have an important influence on susceptibility to many diseases, little is known about how people use this knowledge to manage their health. Most research on lay perceptions of genetic causes of disease focuses on people at risk of particular genetic condition, rather than on those who already have a disease. Results.  Four key themes emerged from the data that people used to understand their heart disease while incorporating family history in different ways including: (1) being ‘doomed’ because of bad genes; (2) not wanting to change health behaviours; (3) wanting to be careful and lead a healthy lifestyle because of a known family history of heart disease and (4) uncertainty of the role of family history in heart disease. Conclusions.  Knowledge of family history of the disease influenced how people experienced health and was inherently embedded within social context to shape new meanings of health. Implications for practice.  The recommendations based on this research are to encourage health care providers to develop an understanding of patients’ conception of how their disease was caused so they can give them advice that will fit within their framework. It is important to understand the different ways in which patients conceptualise and respond to their illness.