Educational Program to Improve Genetic Literacy Among Adult Japanese Women

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K20809
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Lifelong developmental nursing
• Research Institution: Hyogo University of Health Sciences
• Principal Investigator: Katada Chihiro 兵庫医療大学, 看護学部, 講師 (10708556)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 遺伝リテラシー / 女性 / 意思決定 / 遺伝学的検査 / リプロダクティブヘルス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to evaluate an educational program to improve genetic literacy regarding reproductive health among Japanese women.
We developed an educational program including some games to learn genetic knowledge, lectures about genetic testing, and discussions on how to make a difficult choice. We conducted workshops on this program for undergraduate female students. They answered questions concerning genetic knowledge and decisional conflict. They answered three times: before, immediately after, and three months after the intervention. Data were analyzed by repeated ANOVA. This study was approved by the ethical committee of Hyogo University of Health Sciences.
Of 88 participants, 73 (83.0%) completed the questionnaires and were analyzed. Main outcome immediately after and three months after intervention were significantly higher/lower than before intervention (p < 0.01). Thus, this program was thought to improve genetic literacy.

Free Research Field

女性生涯看護学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

遺伝学的検査は、生涯不変の遺伝情報が明らかになるうえ、結果の解釈の難しいことから、遺伝カウンセリングなどの医療者の支援が不可欠である。その一方で、自宅で受検できる簡便な遺伝学的検査や侵襲の少ない出生前検査を医療機関以外で受検する女性の増加が報告されており、女性が受検について意思決定できる能力の必要性が高まっている。しかし、日本人女性の遺伝学的知識の不足が報告されており、安易な受検後に苦悩する女性の増加が懸念される。
したがって、女性が遺伝学や遺伝学的検査について正しく理解し、熟考のうえで遺伝学的検査受検について意思決定できる力を高めることで、安易な受検によって苦悩する女性の減少につながりうる。