Publications by authors named "Christina B Hurst"
Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of a genetics educational module created to improve understanding about the genetics of diabetes, assess motivation to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors, and gauge interest in genetic testing for diabetes.
Methods: Participants were recruited from the Multidisciplinary Comprehensive Diabetes Clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Participants completed a pre-survey to assess three domains: (1) knowledge about diabetes etiology and testing, (2) healthy lifestyle behaviors, and (3) interest in genetic testing.
Studies published over 15 years ago surveyed genetic counselors (GC) and medical geneticists (MG) to examine their clinical experiences with the conflict of "duty to warn" versus patient confidentiality. Federal and state laws pertaining to medical professionals' duty to warn have since been implemented following the publications of these studies. Using a merged version of surveys employed in the prior studies, this study seeks to understand clinicians' current decision-making process when faced with patient refusal to inform at-risk relatives, as well as their familiarity with and opinions of laws and guidelines covering this issue.
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- Genetic counseling is a growing field facing a shortage of certified professionals, leading to high job demand that research shows is not well understood by prospective students.
- A survey of 1,389 science undergraduates across 23 U.S. universities indicated that while 78% had heard of genetic counseling, awareness was influenced by factors like gender and educational experience.
- Key drivers of interest in the field included direct patient care, varied job opportunities, and cultural competency training, with a notable interest among female, Asian, and Hispanic students prompting discussions on targeted recruitment strategies.
Importance: Protective effects of UV-B radiation against nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) are exerted via signaling mechanisms involving the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Recent studies have examined single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the VDR, resulting in contradictory findings as to whether these polymorphisms increase a person's risk for NMSC.
Objective: To examine whether the polymorphisms in the VDR gene are associated with the development of NMSC and the demographic characteristics of the participants.