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Science Communication, Vol. 26, No. 2, 152-161 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/1075547004270078

Perceived Levels of Health Risk Associated with Linguistic Descriptors and Type of Disease

Celeste Condit

University of Georgia

Roxanne Parrott

Pennsylvania State University

To guide communication with lay people about levels of genetic risk, this exploratory study employs a written survey to assess whether different levels of perceived risk were associated with varying the terminology used to describe the nature of risk associated with genes and several diseases. Results indicate that for lay participants (N = 243), there is a statistically significant difference in the level of risk associated with the terminology "has a gene that causes" as compared to the lower risk attributed when the terminology "has a family history of" is used. Participants attributed a higher level of risk to family history for heart disease than family history for diabetes. Implications of the findings for science communication associated with the severity and susceptibility of individuals for disease linked to genes are discussed.

Key Words: genetic determinism • genetic risk • cancer • diabetes • heart disease


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