scholarly journals What people really change after genetic testing (GT) performed in private labs: results from an Italian study

Author(s):  
Serena Oliveri ◽  
Clizia Cincidda ◽  
Giulia Ongaro ◽  
Ilaria Cutica ◽  
Alessandra Gorini ◽  
...  

AbstractDespite the widespread diffusion of direct-to-consumer genetic testing (GT), it is still unclear whether people who learn about their genetic susceptibility to a clinical condition change their behaviors, and the psychological factors involved. The aim of the present study is to investigate long-term changes in health-related choices, individual tendencies and risk attitudes in an Italian sample of GT users. In the context of the Mind the Risk study, which investigated a sample of Italian adults who underwent GT in a private laboratory, 99 clients participated in the follow up assessment. They completed a self-administered questionnaire investigating: (a) clinical history and motivation for testing, (b) lifestyle and risk behaviors, (c) individual tendencies toward health, and (d) risk-taking attitude and risk tolerance. Such variables were measured at three different time-points: T0—before GT, T1—at 6 months after genetic results, and T2—at 1 year from results. Results showed that, at baseline, participants who stated they intended to modify their behavior after GT results, effectively did so over time. This result held both for participants who received a positive or negative test result. In general, a healthier diet was the most frequently observed long-term behavioral change. As regards psychological variables, a risk-taking attitude and risk tolerance did not seem to affect the decision to change the lifestyle. Finally, we found an overall reduction in anxiety and worry over health over time, but also a reduction in the motivation for health promotion and prevention, health esteem, and positive expectations for their health in the future.

Author(s):  
Maria-Camino Escolar-Llamazares ◽  
Isabel Luis-Rico ◽  
Tamara De la Torre-Cruz ◽  
Álvaro Herrero-Cosio ◽  
Carmen Palmero-Cámara ◽  
...  

Background: Despite the abundant scientific literature on entrepreneurship, there is still only limited information on young students’ entrepreneurial intentions. The reasons may be generally found in the different conceptual approaches to entrepreneurial intention and particularly in the variables that regulate and act as antecedents to such intentions. This bias has generated different lines of investigation into the factors relating to entrepreneurial intention among students: one is centered on the variables that influence entrepreneurial intention, in particular, relational, educational, and psychological variables; and the other is centered on the antecedents of entrepreneurial intention, among which is entrepreneurial interest. Methods: In the present paper, we seek to analyze the relationship between the entrepreneurial interest of Spanish youth and a set of socio-educational, psychological, and health-related variables using principal component analysis. A previously validated ad hoc questionnaire was administered to 1764 students (15–18 years old). Results: Notably, few Spanish youth expressed significantly high entrepreneurial interest; those who did were mostly men with a family tradition of entrepreneurial parents, who held high perceptions of their health and quality of life and considered it important in business to detect opportunities beforehand and to create employment. Conclusions: Their principal motives were to improve their professional development, to put their ideas into practice, and to achieve economic independence. This paper proposes the early detection of entrepreneurial interests in young people in order to reinforce these interests as potential long-term initiatives.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii12-ii12
Author(s):  
F W Boele ◽  
J C Reijneveld ◽  
P C de Witt Hamer ◽  
H F van Thuijl ◽  
P Wesseling ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND Many patients with low-grade gliomas (LGGs) continue to survive for many years, yet little is known about patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in long-term survivorship. We previously investigated HRQOL in LGG patients diagnosed on average 6 years prior to assessment (T1, N=195) with a follow-up in stable patients on average 12 years after diagnosis (T2, N=65). We present a final follow-up of LGG survivors (T3), now decades after diagnosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS We invited patients who participated in our previous assessment (N=65), regardless of disease status. Patients completed questionnaires to assess HRQOL, fatigue, and depressive symptoms: Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Brain Tumour Module (EORTC BN20), Checklist Individual Strength (CIS), and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Changes over time (T1-T2-T3) on group level and participant level were assessed. RESULTS Of the 65 patients, 18 (27.7%) were deceased, 3 (4.6%) experienced tumour progression to WHO III, 7 (10.8%) declined, and 3 (4.6%) could not be contacted. Thirty-four patients (52.3%) participated. Of these, 2 had missing HRQOL data, with 32 patients included in analysis. Survivors were M=52.0 (sd=11.3) years old and diagnosed M=26.2 (sd=3.7, range 19–35) years prior. On group level, a statistically significant (but not clinically relevant) improvement in mental health (p=0.049), and a clinically relevant (but not statistically significant) decline in emotional role functioning was found. No other group-level changes over time in HRQOL were found. Minimal detectable change in HRQOL scale scores over time was observed in individual participants (28.1% only improvement; 25.0% only decline; 21.9% both improvement and decline) with 25.0% remaining completely stable. At T3, 25.0% of survivors scored above the cut-off for high risk of clinical depression (≥16 CES-D), and 53.1% of survivors classed as severely fatigued (≥35 CIS). CONCLUSION In this cohort of LGG survivors, assessed decades after diagnosis and treatment, HRQOL does not appear to be greatly impacted during survivorship. However, depressive symptoms and fatigue remain relatively common. Findings can help inform patients, their families, and clinicians and can serve as a benchmark for treatment trials evaluating interventions that can have very long-term effects.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1252 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Escolar-Llamazares ◽  
Isabel Luis-Rico ◽  
Tamara de la Torre-Cruz ◽  
Álvaro Herrero ◽  
Alfredo Jiménez ◽  
...  

Despite the abundant scientific literature on entrepreneurship, there is still only limited information on young students’ entrepreneurial intentions. The reasons for this, may be generally found in the different conceptual approaches to entrepreneurial intention, and particularly in the variables that regulate and act as antecedents to such intentions. This bias has generated different lines of investigation into the factors relating to entrepreneurial intention among students. One line of investigation is centered on the variables that influence entrepreneurial intention, in particular, relational, educational, and psychological variables, and another is centered on the antecedents of entrepreneurial intention, amongst which is entrepreneurial interest. In this paper, we seek to analyze the relationship between the entrepreneurial interest of Spanish youth and a set of socio-educational, psychological, and health-related variables using principal component analysis. A previously validated ad hoc questionnaire was administered to 1764 students (15–18 years old). Notably, few Spanish youth expressed significantly high entrepreneurial interest; those who did were mostly men with a family tradition of entrepreneurial parents, who held high perceptions of their health and quality of life, and considered it important in business to detect opportunities beforehand and to create employment. Their principal motives were to improve their professional development, to put their ideas into practice, and to achieve economic independence. This paper proposes the early detection of entrepreneurial interests in young people in order to reinforce these interests as potential long-term initiatives.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1854
Author(s):  
Tabea Maurer ◽  
Kathrin Thöne ◽  
Nadia Obi ◽  
Audrey Y. Jung ◽  
Sabine Behrens ◽  
...  

Background: Breast cancer (BC) survivors often suffer from late and long-term residual symptoms of the disease and its treatment. To date, long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in breast cancer survivors has been seldom investigated and rarely compared to unaffected women (controls). Aim: This study aimed to investigate HRQoL over time using patient-reported status before diagnosis, during treatment, 1 year post-surgery, approx. 5 years and ≥10 years post-diagnosis. We also compared survivors’ HRQoL with controls’ still alive 10 years after recruitment. Methods: Data from the German population-based Mamma Carcinoma Risk Factor Investigation (MARIE) cohort of 1123 BC patients aged 50–74 years at diagnosis (2002–2005) and of 3453 matched controls were used for analysis. HRQoL was assessed with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC QLQ-C30) questionnaire. All analyses were conducted for all ages as well as stratified according to three age groups (≤58 years, 59–64 years, ≥64 years). Differences in survivors’ general HRQoL before, during, and after therapy were investigated using a t-test/Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Changes in the HRQoL of survivors stratified by age from FU1 to FU2 were assessed via repeated analysis of variance. The HRQoL of survivors compared to the controls at FU2 was analyzed using an analysis of variance. Results: Over all ages, the general HRQoL in patients improved in the first 5 years post-diagnosis. In the subsequent years, HRQoL slightly deteriorated but was comparable to that of the controls. Younger survivors mostly improved their HRQoL from the 5 to 10-year follow-up but remained negatively affected for most functioning and symptom scales compared to controls. In older survivors, HRQoL hardly changed over time and detriments were less pronounced compared to controls, except for insomnia. Conclusions: Restrictions of HRQoL persist for more than 10 years and are most prominent among younger survivors. Researchers and clinicians should be aware of such potential deteriorations and age-dependent differences in order to optimize/adapt long-term cancer survivor care.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
P R Boshier ◽  
F Klevebro ◽  
K V Savva ◽  
A Waller ◽  
L Hage ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Esophagectomy has been associated with decreased health related quality of life (HRQOL) and persistent gastrointestinal symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate HRQOL and symptom evolution in disease free patients up to 20 years following esophagectomy. Methods The study cohort was identified from prospective, IRB approved esophagectomy databases from two high volume centers for the management of esophageal cancer. Patients that were alive and without evidence of disease recurrence in April 2018 completed HRQOL and symptom questionnaires, including: Digestive Symptom Questionnaire, SF36, EORTC QLQ-C30, and EORTC QLQ-OG25. Patients were assessed in three cohorts: <2 year; 2 to 5 years, and; >5 years following surgery. Results In total 171 patients who underwent esophagectomy between 1995-2017, responded to the questionnaires, corresponding to a response rate of 81.3%. Median age was 66.2 years, and median time from operation to survey was 5.6 years (range 0.3-23.1). Early satiety was the most commonly reported symptom in all patients irrespective of timeframe (87.4%; range 82-92%). Dysphagia was seen to decrease over time (58% at <2yrs; 28% at 2-5yrs; 20% at >5 yrs. P=0.013). Weight loss scores demonstrated non-statistical improvement over time. All other symptom scores including heartburn, regurgitation, respiratory symptoms and pain scores remained constant over time. The average level of HRQOL did not improve from levels one year after surgery compared to patients up to 23 years following esophagectomy. Conclusion With the exception of dysphagia, which improved over time, esophagectomy was associated with decreased HRQOL and lasting gastrointestinal symptoms >20 years after surgery. In additional to oncological outcomes, the impact of esophagectomy on long-term HRQOL and associated functional disorders should be considered by all members of the multidisciplinary team when counseling and caring for patients undergoing esophagectomy


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstadina Griva ◽  
Jan Stygall ◽  
Juan Hui Ng ◽  
Andrew Davenport ◽  
Mike J. Harrison ◽  
...  

Little is known on long-term outcomes in kidney transplantation. This study evaluated changes and predictors of generic and transplantation-specific health-related quality of life (HQoL) over six years inN=102kidney transplant survivors using the Short-form Health Survey-36 and the Transplant Effects questionnaire. Mixed models analysis was used to determine long-term outcomes. Emotional HQoL improved over time: Mental Component score, Mental Health, Energy (Ps=.000). Physical HQoL deteriorated: Physical Component Score (P=.001), Pain (P=.002). LRD transplant recipients had greater decline in physical functioning (P=.003) and PCS (P=.000) compared to cadaver recipients. Worry about the transplant (P=.036) and feelings of responsibility (P=.008) increased significantly over time. Worry about the transplant and perceived ability to work predicted 12.7% and 31.1% in variance in MCS and PCS, respectively. Efforts should be made to maintain HQoL and emotional outcomes with ongoing monitoring and support programs throughout the course of posttransplant care.


Author(s):  
Carolyn Watters ◽  
Sageev Oore ◽  
Hadi Kharrazi

Games are designed to generate a high level of motivation and engagement in their players. Game players often display intensity in their interaction with and devotion (compulsion) to a game and play the game over and over. In this chapter, the authors present a framework of motivational constructs found in games that are applicable to the design of interactive health software. The framework includes four dimensions of constructs: control, competency, context, and engagement. The authors developed a platform supporting a variety of games that include these constructs, and through two focus groups we examined the impact of these interactions with children with long-term health disorders. The goal is to determine if games developed with health-related goals provide an opportunity to engage children over time with some responsibility for their own condition; that is, can we build games that function like personalized coaches?


2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 266-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lennart Sjöberg

The paper is a discussion of personal risk taking and risk perception in the field of health-related behavior. It reviews work on addictions, which has shown the difficulties of impulse control in the pursuit of long-term commitments. Such long-term commitments are typically in conflict with temporary and strong urges to indulge in seeking pleasure and comfort. People know and do not know, at the same time, the likely consequences of their behavior, and relapses in addictions are very common. Risk perception research has elucidated some of these points and shown that people see risks as very different for themselves and others, especially lifestyle risks. This difference is related to the notion that they can control their own risks, while others neither can, nor want to, exercise such control. Hence, own competence and motivation is overestimated, and that of other people is underestimated. Wishful thinking further contributes to irrational tendencies. Campaigns intended to change risk-taking behavior run into very difficult resistance due to these factors, and risk messages may be interpreted as pertinent to others rather than oneself.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_6) ◽  
pp. vi183-vi183
Author(s):  
Florien Boele ◽  
Jaap Reijneveld ◽  
Philip de Witt Hamer ◽  
Hinke van Thuijl ◽  
Pieter Wesseling ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND Patients with low-grade gliomas (LGGs) often survive for many years, yet little is known about patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in long-term survivorship. We previously investigated HRQOL in LGG patients diagnosed on average 6 years prior to assessment (T1, N=195) with a follow-up in stable patients on average 12 years after diagnosis (T2, N=65). We present a final follow-up of LGG survivors (T3), now decades after diagnosis. METHODS Patients completed questionnaires to assess HRQOL (Short Form-36 Health Survey; EORTC-BN20), fatigue (Checklist Individual Strength (CIS)), and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D)). Changes over time (T1-T2-T3) on group level and participant level were assessed. RESULTS Of the 65 patients approached, 18 (27.7%) were deceased, 3 (4.6%) experienced tumour progression to WHO III, 7 (10.8%) declined, and 3 (4.6%) could not be contacted. Thirty-four patients (52.3%) participated (missing HRQOL data N=2; N=32 included in analysis). Survivors were M=52.0 (sd=11.3) years old and diagnosed M=26.2 (sd=3.7, range:19-35) years prior. On group level, a statistically significant (but not clinically relevant) improvement in mental health (p=0.049), and a clinically relevant (but not statistically significant) decline in emotional role functioning was found. Minimal detectable change in HRQOL scale scores over time was observed in individual participants (28.1% only improvement; 25.0% only decline; 21.9% both improvement and decline) with 25.0% remaining completely stable. At T3, 25.0% and 53.1% of survivors scored above the cut-off for high risk of depression (≥16 CES-D) and severe fatigue (≥35 CIS), respectively. CONCLUSION In LGG survivors, assessed decades after diagnosis and treatment, HRQOL does not appear to be greatly impacted during survivorship. However, depressive symptoms and fatigue remain relatively common. Findings can help inform patients, their families, and clinicians and can serve as a benchmark for treatment trials evaluating interventions that can have very long-term effects.


Author(s):  
Julia I. Apalkova

The male behavioural strategy associated with physical risk is one of the universal foundations on which the ideas of masculinity established in society are based. Risk-taking propensity in general can signal a man's greater competitiveness, and physically risky actions can be perceived as "courageous" behavior and evidence of strength and athleticism. The results of a number of experimental studies and observations recorded sexual differences in risky behavior. In particular, young men are more likely to take physical risks than women. Evolutionary scientists have suggested that these differences may be a result of male competition for access to sexual partners. In this study we present an analysis of male and female physical risk assessments of men in the Russian sample (n = 701). Men and women were offered vignettes describing men who differed in risk-taking propensity. Respondents needed to assess the attractiveness of men in the context of long-term romantic and short-term (so-called "one night stand") relationships, as well as to assess their competitiveness, tendency to aggression, provisioning quality and a tendency to dangerous health behavior (alcohol abuse, unprotected sex, etc.). The degree of risk tolerance was significant in the evaluation of all the proposed parameters. Men who demonstrate an average degree of risk-taking propensity received the highest ratings for attractiveness for short-term relationships. Low-risk men were found to be more attractive in long-term relationships and able to provide the best quality of life. Men who choose a type of activity associated with constant physical risk and danger were assessed as the most aggressive and competitive. In addition, high risk propensity was associated with a higher propensity for unhealthy lifestyles and bad habits. Thus, male risk-taking behaviour affects men's social perception, attractiveness and quality assessment, and a high degree of risk-taking is not always perceived as a positive quality.


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