The ticking time-bomb. Health literacy in the context of genetic risk prediction in familial breast-ovarian cancer; A qualitative study

Personalised methods of predicting breast and ovarian cancer risk through genetic testing increasingly demand a person’s understanding and critical appraisal of risk-related information, as well as decision-making and acting upon disclosure of a positive test result. The current study aims at unders...

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Main Authors: Mariya Lorke, Laura Harzheim, Kerstin Rhiem, Christiane Woopen, Saskia Jünger
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2021-10-01
Series:Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare
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Online Access:https://www.pagepressjournals.org/index.php/qrmh/article/view/9647
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author Mariya Lorke
Laura Harzheim
Kerstin Rhiem
Christiane Woopen
Saskia Jünger
author_facet Mariya Lorke
Laura Harzheim
Kerstin Rhiem
Christiane Woopen
Saskia Jünger
author_sort Mariya Lorke
collection DOAJ
description Personalised methods of predicting breast and ovarian cancer risk through genetic testing increasingly demand a person’s understanding and critical appraisal of risk-related information, as well as decision-making and acting upon disclosure of a positive test result. The current study aims at understanding health literacy (HL) among persons at risk of developing familial breast-ovarian cancer (FBOC) from a bottom-up perspective—incorporating their viewpoints into the research process. Its qualitative design integrates an ethnographic-narrative approach and findings from 10 narrative interviews with women who have undergone genetic testing, analysed by using reflexive grounded theory. The collected data reveal the entanglement of the women’s perceptions concerning the risk of getting ill, their identity, and their strategies of managing health. The analysis of this interplay provides an empirical basis for approaching HL in its communicative dimension, considering individuals’ understandings of health and illness, and emphasizing the role of critical HL.
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publisher KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
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series Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare
spelling doaj-art-cddaca83ec114587900a29b90a8ef90b2025-08-20T02:51:52ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare2532-20442021-10-015210.4081/qrmh.2021.9647The ticking time-bomb. Health literacy in the context of genetic risk prediction in familial breast-ovarian cancer; A qualitative studyMariya Lorke0 Laura Harzheim1 Kerstin Rhiem2 Christiane Woopen3 Saskia Jünger4Cologne Center for Ethics, Rights, Economics, and Social Sciences of Health (CERES), University of Cologne and University Hospital of Cologne, CologneCologne Center for Ethics, Rights, Economics, and Social Sciences of Health (CERES), University of Cologne and University Hospital of Cologne, CologneCenter for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer, University Hospital Cologne, CologneCologne Center for Ethics, Rights, Economics, and Social Sciences of Health (CERES), University of Cologne and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne; Research Unit Ethics, Institute for the History of Medicine and Medical Ethics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne and University Hospital of Cologne, CologneCologne Center for Ethics, Rights, Economics, and Social Sciences of Health (CERES), University of Cologne and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne; Department of Community Health, University of Applied Health Sciences Bochum, BochumPersonalised methods of predicting breast and ovarian cancer risk through genetic testing increasingly demand a person’s understanding and critical appraisal of risk-related information, as well as decision-making and acting upon disclosure of a positive test result. The current study aims at understanding health literacy (HL) among persons at risk of developing familial breast-ovarian cancer (FBOC) from a bottom-up perspective—incorporating their viewpoints into the research process. Its qualitative design integrates an ethnographic-narrative approach and findings from 10 narrative interviews with women who have undergone genetic testing, analysed by using reflexive grounded theory. The collected data reveal the entanglement of the women’s perceptions concerning the risk of getting ill, their identity, and their strategies of managing health. The analysis of this interplay provides an empirical basis for approaching HL in its communicative dimension, considering individuals’ understandings of health and illness, and emphasizing the role of critical HL.https://www.pagepressjournals.org/index.php/qrmh/article/view/9647Health literacyrisknarrative interviewsreflexive grounded theory
spellingShingle Mariya Lorke
Laura Harzheim
Kerstin Rhiem
Christiane Woopen
Saskia Jünger
The ticking time-bomb. Health literacy in the context of genetic risk prediction in familial breast-ovarian cancer; A qualitative study
Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare
Health literacy
risk
narrative interviews
reflexive grounded theory
title The ticking time-bomb. Health literacy in the context of genetic risk prediction in familial breast-ovarian cancer; A qualitative study
title_full The ticking time-bomb. Health literacy in the context of genetic risk prediction in familial breast-ovarian cancer; A qualitative study
title_fullStr The ticking time-bomb. Health literacy in the context of genetic risk prediction in familial breast-ovarian cancer; A qualitative study
title_full_unstemmed The ticking time-bomb. Health literacy in the context of genetic risk prediction in familial breast-ovarian cancer; A qualitative study
title_short The ticking time-bomb. Health literacy in the context of genetic risk prediction in familial breast-ovarian cancer; A qualitative study
title_sort ticking time bomb health literacy in the context of genetic risk prediction in familial breast ovarian cancer a qualitative study
topic Health literacy
risk
narrative interviews
reflexive grounded theory
url https://www.pagepressjournals.org/index.php/qrmh/article/view/9647
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