The complex relationship of genetics, groups, and health: What it means for public health

The author argues that public health practice must acknowledge that genetic variation affects the health of populations directly and, even more important, indirectly, being mediated by both the social positioning of groups and by widely held beliefs that genetic information is deterministic. The complexity of this relationship among genetics, groups, and health, as well as the multiple opportunities for misuse and misunderstanding, also increases the importance of involving communities and populations in public health research and practice.