16 The effect of providing genetic risk information on lifestyle behaviors in African Americans

Abstract

Objectives/Goals: The goal of this proposal is to better understand how informing African Americans of their genetic risk affects their behavior as part of a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction intervention. Aim 1: To determine the effect of genetic risk knowledge on CVD health behavior. Aim 2: To determine the effect of genetic risk knowledge on secondary variables. Methods/Study Population: Method: Fifty participants from the Baton Rouge metropolitan area will be recruited. Participants must be African American adults over the age of 18. Potential participants will be recruited using community-based efforts that have been successful in recruiting this population specifically. Participants will be randomized into one of two groups. Genetically Unblinded Group (GU) will be “genetically unblinded” after baseline orientation. Genetically Blinded Group (GB) will be “genetically blinded” until the end of the study. This study design ensures that we can measure the impact of knowledge of genetic risk on participant behavior. Results/Anticipated Results: Baseline participants’ characteristics (body mass index, blood glucose, and cholesterol) will be summarized by intervention group, with counts and percentages for categorical variables and means and 95% confidence intervals for continuous variables. Primary Outcomes: Attendance in intervention sessions will be counted across groups. Effect on genetic risk knowledge will be determined via comparing the difference between the increased healthy lifestyle behaviors at endpoint between Genetically Unblinded (Cases) and Genetically Blinded Groups (Control). Secondary and Tertiary Outcomes: Mean change in secondary outcomes in the GU group will be compared against the mean change in the GB group. Participant’s survey responses and changes in physical measurement from baseline to endpoint will be observed. Discussion/Significance of Impact: This study empowers African Americans in Baton Rouge by providing genetic risk knowledge for cardiovascular disease. By addressing social determinants of health, it promotes behavior change, improves health outcomes, and fosters trust, potentially reducing health disparities and advancing health equity.