Table 2.

Common themes, subthemes, and representative participant quotes

Common Themes and Subthemes	Representative Participant Quotes
1. Knowledge and attitudes about genetic testing
Basic background understanding of  genetic testing	“It is found in the blood and the gene, right? And that it is passed from generation to generation and the genetic tests proves that it is true… that a person has this gene and this, well, for diabetes.” (Spanish-speaking male)
Confusion about the purpose of genetic testing	“That probably, if, if you have the probability, with genetic testing you can prevent that it spreads, that the disease gets worse, and catching it on time is beneficial.” (Spanish- speaking female)
	“You know, if you’re gonna have, if you’re predisposed to get a particular thing and, you know, pretty much it may happen, it might help with, you know, earlier detection. It’ll help manage whatever it is that you might get. You know, to prevent it is like, okay, I’m not gonna get it, I’m not gonna get it. Or if I have the gene and I may get it, then you’d be more careful about it because, you know, it may be that you’re gonna get it. So if you’re gonna get it, you at least start managing it earlier. For instance, diabetes, well, then you start cutting down on your sugar now, you go take more tests and be more aware, educate yourself more… there’s a degree of inevitability, and how you handle that inevitability, what you do with it.” (English-speaking male)
2. Communication and sources of information regarding genetic testing
Frequency of discussion	“And for genetic testing, that’s not something that pops up in a conversation over the dinner table.” (English-speaking male)
Information sources	“Yeah, because if you go on the website and you first check on that you get like an alert and you get scared, and you don’t know, you have so many things on your mind, and then so you’d rather go first to your primary doctor.” (English-speaking female)
	“I would go to a doctor to request some advice about my genetics and my partner’s genetics.” (English-speaking male)
3. Anticipated responses to genetic testing
Interest in genetic testing	“Wouldn’t you want to know? If you’re at risk for cancer, wouldn’t you want to take that test?” (English-speaking female)
Proactive behavioral responses to results indicating elevated risk	“I would definitely sit down with my doctor and ask her what are the dos and don’ts and to give me a whole rundown of anything that I can do to prevent it, you know.” (English- speaking female)
Positive emotional responses to results	“Then it would be as if nothing had happened.” (Spanish-speaking male)
indicating average risk
4. Factors that may increase adoption of genetic testing
Actionable information	“And if it were inexpensive and widely available, I can see the benefit of everybody getting a baseline and seeing what you’re predisposed to and what you should be more careful with.” (English-speaking male)
	“And I think that if I had cancer I would do the tests to see if my children also, if they can inherit it from me. So they.… would do genetic tests to my children to see if they can get it.” (Spanish-speaking female)
5. Barriers to adoption of genetic testing
Misuse	“And also, what’s going to happen with the information, who’s going to have access to that.” (English-speaking male)
Personal utility	“That if you find out something is wrong with you, then your family members might have it and they might have to get that genetic testing too… That’s a drawback, in a way. And then, you know, like maybe good because they need to, you know, have it done.” (English-speaking female)
Adverse emotional responses	“Better yet, it is the fear of knowing that one has it and so it makes you more depressed.” (Spanish-speaking female)
	“It depends on what you hear back, you know. It might be like that death sentence, how are you gonna handle knowing, okay? Would that trigger suicidal ideation, for instance?” (English-speaking male)
Practical barriers	“Many people are not really like to make use of that resource because they do not have enough money… And so they say to themselves, okay, I may have that illness but for now I have to put food on the table for my children, so I cannot… and they do not do it.” (Spanish-speaking male)
	“That we won’t be able to… Like we won’t be able to communicate.” (Spanish-speaking female)

Note. Please see text for descriptions of gender-based differences in the subthemes and representative participant quotes.