Assessing the Extent to which Family Health History (FHH) Education has an Impact on Perception of Chronic Disease Risk among Hispanic Immigrants in the State of Utah

Authors

Cynthia Penaflor, Brigham Young University
Dr. Michael Barnes, Brigham Young University

Keywords

family health history, FHH, education, chronic disease risk, Hispanic immigrants, Utah

College

Life Sciences

Department

Health Science

Abstract

Family health history (FHH) is recognized as an important risk factor for chronic disease. Researchers have demonstrated that individuals who have family members with a particular chronic disease are at greater risk of developing the disease themselves compared to the general population. The extent to which people view FHH as a risk factor has implications for whether or not FHH data is collected by individuals and utilized for disease prevention. While research has recently been conducted among Caucasian audiences throughout Utah, little is known about the impact of FHH on immigrants or others who lack community connections to traditional health resources. This study was the first attempt among Hispanic immigrants that aimed to assess (1) how FHH is viewed as a risk factor for chronic disease and (2) to determine the impact of a FHH learning module on the importance of FHH in changing attitudes and behaviors among participants.

Recommended Citation

Penaflor, Cynthia and Barnes, Dr. Michael (2013) "Assessing the Extent to which Family Health History (FHH) Education has an Impact on Perception of Chronic Disease Risk among Hispanic Immigrants in the State of Utah," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013: Iss. 1, Article 1181.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/1181