Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28664264›Full record

ReviewJournal of community genetics2018

Behavioural changes, sharing behaviour and psychological responses after receiving direct-to-consumer genetic test results: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Kelly F J Stewart, Anke Wesselius, Maartje A C Schreurs, Annemie M W J Schols, Maurice P Zeegers

Erratum issuedAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of community genetics, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 43 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
43citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

43 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Systematic Review: The Psychosocial Impacts of Autism-Related Genetic Testing.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry · 2026
    Pooled it
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  3. Trial
  4. Predictors of genetic risk recall among the participants of a randomized controlled precision prevention trial against melanoma.Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics · 2023
    Trial
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  18. Regulation of Laboratory-Developed Tests in Preventive Oncology: Emerging Needs and Opportunities.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2023
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Kelly F J StewartDepartment of Complex Genetics and Epidemiology, School of Nutrition, and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands. k.stewart@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
Anke WesseliusDepartment of Complex Genetics and Epidemiology, School of Nutrition, and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Maartje A C SchreursNational Nutrition Surveillance Centre, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sport Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Annemie M W J ScholsDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University Medical Centre Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Maurice P ZeegersDepartment of Complex Genetics and Epidemiology, School of Nutrition, and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

It has been hypothesised that direct-to-consumer genetic tests (DTC-GTs) could stimulate health behaviour change. However, genetic testing may also lead to anxiety and distress or unnecessarily burden the health care system. The aim is to review and meta-analyse the effects of DTC-GT on (1) behaviour change, (2) psychological response and (3) medical consumption. A systematic literature search was performed in three databases, using "direct-to-consumer genetic testing" as a key search term. Random effects meta-analyses were performed when at least two comparable outcomes were available. After selection, 19 articles were included involving 11 unique studies. Seven studies involved actual consumers who paid the retail price, whereas four included participants who received free genetic testing as part of a research trial (non-actual consumers). In meta-analysis, 23% had a positive lifestyle change. More specifically, improved dietary and exercise practices were both reported by 12%, whereas 19% quit smoking. Seven percent of participants had subsequent preventive checks. Thirty-three percent shared their results with any health care professional and 50% with family and/or friends. Sub-analyses show that behaviour change was more prevalent among non-actual consumers, whereas sharing was more prevalent among actual consumers. Results on psychological responses showed that anxiety, distress and worry were low or absent and that the effect faded with time. DTC-GT has potential to be effective as a health intervention, but the right audience needs to be addressed with tailored follow-up. Research is needed to identify consumers who do and do not change behaviour or experience adverse psychological responses.

Indexed as

Behaviour changeDirect-to-consumer genetic testingMeta-analysisPsychological responsesSharing behaviourSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID28664264
PMCPMC5752648

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.