Barriers to the use of genetic testing: A study of racial and ethnic disparities

Purpose: Racial and ethnic disparities in health are evident among a range of diseases and health care services. New genetic technologies are likely to increase these disparities as access to expensive genetic tests further widens the gap. Methods: Our analysis used data from a national representative sample collected in 2000. The total sample size for our analysis was 1724 men and women (consisting of 946 non-Hispanic whites, 392 Latinos, and 386 blacks) aged 18 to 91 years. Ordered logistic regression and binary logistic regression analysis were applied to investigate differences by race/ethnicity. Results: Results showed significant differences by racial/ethnic groups in knowledge and concerns about the potential misuse of genetic testing. A significant difference was also found between the types of health insurance coverage by race/ethnicity as well as significantly higher levels of mistrust in a physician and the medical system. Conclusion: Our findings raise concern about several barriers among minorities and calls for a development of educational and communication strategies that facilitate in narrowing the gap between racial and ethnic groups.