Public awareness and use of direct-to-consumer genetic tests

Purpose: Numerous genetic tests are available and marketed direct-to-consumers (DTC), often without scientific evidence of health benefit. Understanding the public's knowledge and utilization of these tests may provide insight into the need for targeted educational activities. This study assessed the public's awareness and ordering of specific genetic tests available DTC in a national sample of adults in the United States. Methods: Data were collected on 4,398 respondents utilizing the 2007 HealthStyles survey (response rate 67%). Questions focused on five types of genetic tests currently available DTC: paternity, ancestry, cystic fibrosis, BRCA1/2, and nutrigenomic testing. Results: A majority of respondents (88%) had heard or read about paternity testing, but a minority had heard or read about testing for ancestry (33%), cystic fibrosis (36%), BRCA1/2 (21%), or nutrigenomics (7%). 72% of respondents were not aware that any of these tests could be ordered without the help of a healthcare provider (i.e., DTC). Less than 3% of respondents reported having ordered any of these tests DTC, primarily paternity and ancestry testing. Awareness was more common among females and those with some college education and higher incomes. Conclusions: These data suggest that aside from paternity testing, the majority of consumers are not aware of other common types of genetic testing. A minority appear to be aware that these tests are available DTC, and few have accessed such testing. Following these trends over time will be important to assessing the impact of the changing availability and marketing of DTC genetic tests.