The attitude of young people in the city of Yakutsk to DNA-testing

Abstract

This pilot research was one of the first sociological studies with general questions on genetic testing with 300 participants, 75% of which were representatives of one people–the Sakha. A quantitative method was used: a sociological survey with quota sampling (Δ ± 5%), held in February–March 2018 in the City of Yakutsk (n = 350). Analysis of the survey results have shown that the respondents have low levels of awareness about the DNA-testing method: 72.3% “do not know about the method”. Only 18.7% of respondents knew that since 2000 the Medical-Genetic Centre of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) conducts DNA diagnostics for hereditary diseases, with 81.0% replying that they didn’t know that. The questionnaire has shown that 90.3% of participants would like to undergo DNA-testing to identify their susceptibility to genetic diseases. Our questionnaire has shown high levels of self-identity among the young Sakha and their desire to learn about their belonging to a specific ethnicity (49.3%) with the assistance of DNA-testing. Furthermore, based on the answers relating to motivations for undergoing DNA-testing, we can say that the respondents have confirmed the peculiarities of their national mindset, specifically, high value of children for a family: “concern for the health of my future children” was a great motivator for taking the test (50.3%).