Family disease history and perceived risk for Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and depression

Abstract

Background: We compared relations between family disease history and perceived risk for Type 2 diabetes (T2D), cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and severe depression. Methods: Participants were Finnish 25−74-year-olds (N=5024) from a population-based FINRISK 2007 study. Perceived absolute risks for diseases were measured as ordinal variables (1 to 5). Regression analyses were performed to examine the effect of family history (parents and siblings), demographics and behavioral risk factors (e.g. smoking) on perceived risks. Findings: Family history was most prevalent for cancer (39%), least for depression (19%). Perceived risk was highest for CVD, lowest for depression. In regression analyses, relation between family history and perceived risk was strongest for T2D (β=0.35, p<0.001), weakest for depression (β=0.18, p<0.001). The association remained significant (p<0.001) for all diseases after adjusting for demographic and behavioral risk factors. For depression the association of family history and perceived risk was stronger for women than men (p<0.001). Discussion: Relation between family history and perceived risk varies across diseases. Future studies should examine whether the effect of genetic risk information on perceived risk varies similarly across diseases.