Community empowerment for public health: The role of family health history

Promotion of the importance of family health history knowledge can be a useful public health strategy for disease prevention. Indeed, FHH can be more predictive of diseases than genetic variants. Yet, there has been little study of whether FHH tools used by individuals, families, and communities inspire measurable changes in behavior and communication, within the family or with a provider. The HRSA-funded Community Centered Family Health History models how accessible tools produced by the community, for the community, promote conversations among family members about health and translate knowledge of FHH into healthy lifestyle choices. Genetic Alliance worked with seven communities to customize and measure the utility of the Does It Run In the Family? toolkit. Partners recruited 25+ families (two or more blood relatives) to use the toolkit for three months by discussing with family members and considering the implications of gained information. Before and after using the toolkit, participants completed surveys measuring family communication about FHH, disease risk and the use of FHH information in provider interactions. Family members used the tool with each other and with family members not enrolled in the survey cohort. From pre to post toolkit use participants showed positive changes in communicating about family history of disease risk (p<0.01) and in communicating with providers about health risk (p<0.05). Empowering the participant to be the steward of his or her own FHH information facilitates the job of healthcare providers and creates an informed public capable of and comfortable with dialoguing around genetics and health.