Perceptions of Family Health History in an East Baltimore Community

Knowledge and discussion of family health history (FHH) can allow patients, families, and communities to proactively monitor their health and communicate with providers to identify genetic risk factors and inform clinical decision-making. Under-resourced communities may face barriers in collecting, sharing, and using FHH due to competing priorities, health literacy, and medical mistrust. We characterized community opinions about FHH in a public Baltimore market. A paper survey was administered during biweekly health fairs at the Northeast Market. The survey assessed participants’ practices of discussing and collecting FHH, knowledge of genetic testing, perception of FHH, and demographics. One hundred and one surveys were collected. 76% of respondents discussed FHH while only 56% collected FHH (p < .05). Logistic regression found that female gender significantly predicts FHH collection (OR = 2.77, 95% CI [1.15, 6.84]). Additionally, higher income was significantly correlated with discussing (OR = 1.59, 95% CI [1.14, 2.37]), collecting (OR = 1.29, 95% CI [1.01, 1.68]), and valuing transmission of FHH from older to younger people (OR = 1.70, 95% CI [1.22, 2.51]). Participants were found to favor obtaining FHH knowledge through intergenerational exchange compared to medical staff or schoolteachers. These findings indicate that promoting FHH warrants equitable strategies to reach all persons across gender, age, and socioeconomics. Having local advocates trained in the significance of FHH (e.g. community health workers) and supporting intergenerational approaches (e.g. older women with younger relatives) may be a consideration to reach such populations. More insight is needed to gain a comprehensive understanding of how FHH is valued by certain demographics and then begin to foster equitable strategies to educate and inform diverse populations on FHH.