Knowledge about genes and heredity among Finns

A survey (n = 1216) was conducted to evaluate the knowledge about genes and heredity in Finland. In the study, which is the first one concerning general knowledge of genes and heredity in a population sample, the majority of respondents had at least a rough picture of the association between genes, heredity and diseases. However, there were some aspects that were not so well known. Most difficult issues contained specialized terms such as “chromosome” and “DNA”. When asked to list diseases and human characteristics that are hereditary, only few mentioned conditions that are not at all hereditary. The knowledge was not significantly related to gender or reported experiences of hereditary diseases or gene tests, but younger people and those with a higher level of education and social status exhibited greater knowledge. Implications for genetic testing and counselling undertakings are discussed.