scholarly journals Genetic and environmental contributions to variations on appetitive traits at 10 years of age: a twin study within the Generation XXI birth cohort

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Warkentin ◽  
Milton Severo ◽  
Alison Fildes ◽  
Andreia Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Monozygotic Twin ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Environmental Contribution ◽  
Old Portuguese

Abstract Purpose Given the variability in adiposity despite ubiquitous exposure to obesogenic food environments, it has been suggested that individuals respond in divergent ways to the environment they live in. The food environment becomes more ‘permissive’ as children age; therefore, genetic predisposition for a more avid appetite can be better expressed, influencing dietary quality, energy intake and weight gain. Our aim was to explore the genetic and environmental contribution of variations on appetitive traits in a sample of 10-year-old Portuguese children. Methods Participants were twins enrolled in the Generation XXI birth cohort (n = 86 pairs). Parents reported twin’s zygosity and child appetitive traits at 10 years of age through the Children’s Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Intra-class correlations (ICCs) for all appetitive traits were calculated for monozygotic and dizygotic twins separately to examine patterns of resemblance, and structural equation modeling was conducted aiming to estimate the genetic (A), shared (C) and non-shared (E) environmental variances. Results Moderate to strong heritability were found for child appetitive traits, with higher ICCs among monozygotic twin pairs. For all appetitive traits, with the exception of emotional undereating, genetic and non-shared environmental effects contributed to appetite variability. For emotional undereating, environmental effects seem to be more important than genetic effects (C: 0.81; 95% CI 0.71; 0.88 and E: 0.19; 95% CI 0.12; 0.29). Conclusion There was a significant genetic contribution, followed by non-shared environmental contribution, towards variation in appetitive traits in school-age children. Variation in emotional undereating was primarily explained by shared and non-shared environmental factors. Level of evidence Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case–control analytic studies.

scholarly journals 1334Appetitive behaviors in school-age and their genetic and environmental predisposition

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Warkentin ◽  
Milton Severo ◽  
Alison Fildes ◽  
Andreia Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
School Age ◽  
Environmental Contribution ◽  
Child Eating ◽  
Old Portuguese ◽  
Genetically Determined ◽  
Behavioral Influences ◽  
Appetitive Behaviors

Abstract Background Given the great variability in adiposity and the exposure to obesogenic food environments, it has been suggested that individuals respond in divergent ways to the environment they live in. Our aim was to explore the genetic and environmental contribution of variations on appetitive behaviors in 10-year-old Portuguese children. Methods Participants were twins from the Generation XXI cohort (n = 86 pairs). Appetitive behaviors at 10 years was assessed through the Children Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Intra-class correlations for appetitive behaviors were calculated for monozygotic and dizygotic twins, and structural equation modelling was conducted to estimate genetic (A), shared (C) and non-shared (E) environmental variances. Results Twins were mainly dizygotic (65%), and a third was classified as having excess weight (30.2%). For all appetitive behaviors, with exception to Emotional Undereating, moderate to strong heritability were found and non-shared environmental effects contributed to appetite variability. For Emotional Undereating, environmental effects seem to be more important than genetic effects (C: 0.81; 95%CI 0.71;0.88 and E: 0.19; 95%CI 0.12;0.29). Conclusions There is a significant genetic contribution, followed by non-shared environmental effects, on appetitive behaviors in school-age years. Results indicate that Emotional Undereating was not heritable, being explained by shared and non-shared environmental factors. Key messages Appetitive behaviors among 10-year-olds seem to be genetically determined, with exception to Emotional Undereating, which showed to be explained by environmental factors. Understanding which genes are associated with child appetitive behaviors would give an insight in biological and behavioral influences on child eating and obesity risk.

scholarly journals Reporting Skill: The Missing Ingredient in Concussion Reporting Intention Assessment

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 416-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dee Warmath ◽  
Andrew P. Winterstein
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
Concussion Knowledge ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Reporting Intentions

Background: Extant literature suggests that a substantial portion of athletes may not report a possible concussion and that concussion knowledge is insufficient to predict concussion reporting behavior. One area that has not been explored is reporting skill; that is, mastery of the actions required to report a concussion. This study evaluated the relationship between reporting skill and reporting intention, introducing a measure of the reporting skill construct. Hypotheses: Reporting intentions will be more closely associated with reporting skill than with concussion/symptom knowledge. The relationship between concussion (or symptom) knowledge and reporting intentions will differ by level of reporting skill. Study Design: Repeated cross-sectional study. Level of Evidence: Level 2. Methods: A set of items was administered to young adults aged 18 to 24 years from the Survey Sampling International panel. Exploratory/confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on 2 waves of data to develop the scale (n = 899). Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling on the responses from the third wave of participants (n = 406). Results: Knowing the actions to take in reporting was more important than having knowledge of concussions or concussion symptoms. Reporting skill, not concussion or concussion symptom knowledge, was associated with higher intentions to report symptoms. Among those with higher levels of reporting skill, concussion symptom knowledge (but not general concussion knowledge) was associated with higher intentions to report symptoms. Conclusion: Reporting skill is an important and, until now, missing ingredient in the concussion literature and practice. Clinical Relevance: Incorporating reporting skill development in concussion education and team activities to teach athletes how to report is likely to improve actual reporting intentions. While further study is needed with particular sports and additional age groups, reporting skill holds promise as a new avenue for increased concussion reporting.

scholarly journals Improvements in Neighborhood Socioeconomic Conditions May Improve Resident Diet

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea S Richardson ◽  
Rebecca L Collins ◽  
Madhumita Ghosh-Dastidar ◽  
Feifei Ye ◽  
Gerald P Hunter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
Group Testing ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Socioeconomic Conditions ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Individual Level

Abstract Neighborhood socioeconomic conditions (NSEC) are associated with resident diet, but most research has been cross-sectional. We capitalize on a natural experiment where one neighborhood experienced substantial investments, compared to a sociodemographically similar neighborhood that did not, in order to examine pathways from neighborhood investments to changed NSEC and changed dietary behavior. We examine differences between renters and homeowners. Data are from a random sample of households (n=831) in each of these low-income Pittsburgh neighborhoods who were surveyed in 2011 and 2014. Structural equation modeling tested direct and indirect pathways from neighborhood to resident dietary quality, adjusting for individual-level sociodemographics, with multi-group testing by homeowners versus renters. Neighborhood investments were directly associated with improved dietary quality for both renters (β, 95% confidence interval [CI]) =0.27, CI: 0.05, 0.50) and homeowners (β=0.51, CI: 0.10, 0.92). Among renters, investments were also associated with dietary quality through a positive association with commercial prices (β= 0.34, CI: 0.15, 0.54) and a negative association with residential prices (β=-0.30, CI: -0.59, -0.004). Among homeowners, we did not observe any indirect pathways from investments to dietary quality through tested mediators. Investing in neighborhoods may support resident diet, doing so through improvements in neighborhood commercial environments for renters, but mechanisms appear to differ for homeowners.

The twain shall meet: Uniting the analysis of sex differences and within-sex variation

1996 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 262-262
Author(s):  
David C. Rowe
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Statistical Methods ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Mathematical Abilities ◽  
Males And Females

AbstractSpatial and mathematical abilities may be “sex-limited” traits. A sex-limited trait has the same determinants of variation within the sexes, but the genetic or environmental effects would be differentially expressed in males and females. New advances in structural equation modeling allow means and variation to be estimated simultaneously. When these statistical methods are combined with a genetically informative research design, it should be possible to demonstrate that the genes influencing spatial and mathematical abilities are sex-limited in their expression. This approach would give an empirical confirmation of Geary's evolutionary speculations.

scholarly journals Longitudinal Effects on Early Adolescent Language: A Twin Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 1059-1073
Author(s):  
Nicole Harlaar ◽  
Laura Segebart DeThorne ◽  
Jamie Mahurin Smith ◽  
Mariana Aparicio Betancourt ◽  
Stephen A. Petrill
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Formal Language ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Longitudinal Effects ◽  
The Stability

Purpose We evaluated genetic and environmental contributions to individual differences in language skills during early adolescence, measured by both language sampling and standardized tests, and examined the extent to which these genetic and environmental effects are stable across time. Method We used structural equation modeling on latent factors to estimate additive genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental effects on variance in standardized language skills (i.e., Formal Language) and productive language-sample measures (i.e., Productive Language) in a sample of 527 twins across 3 time points (mean ages 10–12 years). Results Individual differences in the Formal Language factor were influenced primarily by genetic factors at each age, whereas individual differences in the Productive Language factor were primarily due to nonshared environmental influences. For the Formal Language factor, the stability of genetic effects was high across all 3 time points. For the Productive Language factor, nonshared environmental effects showed low but statistically significant stability across adjacent time points. Conclusions The etiology of language outcomes may differ substantially depending on assessment context. In addition, the potential mechanisms for nonshared environmental influences on language development warrant further investigation.

Heritabilities of Lipids in Young European American and African American Twins

2005 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 492-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasia Iliadou ◽  
Harold Snieder ◽  
Xiaoling Wang ◽  
Frank A. Treiber ◽  
Catherine L. Davis
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Ethnic Differences ◽  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Density Lipoprotein ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Parameter Estimates ◽  
European American ◽  
Eastern United States

AbstractTwin studies of lipids have almost exclusively involved Caucasians. People of African descent are known to show a healthier lipid profile, but relatively little is known about ethnic differences in genetic and environmental influences on lipids. One hundred and six African American (AA) and 106 European American (EA) twins (30 singletons and 91 complete pairs: 49 monozygotic, 21 dizygotic and 21 opposite-sex) from the south-eastern United States were studied (mean age 17.9 ± 3.2 years; 79% fasting). Lipids were assayed with the Cholestech LDX system. Analyses were adjusted for fasting status. Generalized estimating equations were used to test for the effects of sex and ethnicity on means, controlling for the dependence within twin pairs. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate genetic and environmental effects on each lipid variable. Females showed higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) values than males (p< .001) and AAs showed higher HDL values than EAs (p< .001). EA males had higher triglyceride values than other groups (p= .02). All parameter estimates could be set equal across sex. Parameter estimates for total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL could be set equal across ethnicity. The best fitting model for low- density lipoprotein (LDL) showed higher heritability in AAs (.92) than EAs (.69). Heritabilities ranged from 69% to 92%, with remaining variation explained by nonshared environmental effects. Adjustment for body mass index had virtually no effect on the heritability estimates. In this first twin study on lipids to include AAs, no ethnic differences in heritability were found except for LDL, where AAs exhibited higher estimates.

scholarly journals A Model of Phonological Processing, Language, and Reading for Students With Mild Intellectual Disability

2013 ◽  
Vol 118 (5) ◽  
pp. 365-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Michael Barker ◽  
Rose A. Sevcik ◽  
Robin D. Morris ◽  
MaryAnn Romski
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Phonological Awareness ◽  
Phonological Processing ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Reading Skills ◽  
Receptive Language ◽  
Naming Speed ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Processing Language

Abstract Little is known about the relationships between phonological processing, language, and reading in children with intellectual disability (ID). We examined the structure of phonological processing in 294 school-age children with mild ID and the relationships between its components and expressive and receptive language and reading skills using structural equation modeling. Phonological processing consisted of two distinct but correlated latent abilities: phonological awareness and naming speed. Phonological awareness had strong relationships with expressive and receptive language and reading skills. Naming speed had moderate relationships with these variables. Results suggest that children with ID bring the same skills to the task of learning to read as children with typical development, highlighting the fact that phonologically based reading instruction should be considered a viable approach.

Heritability of Lung Function: A Twin Study Among Never-Smoking Elderly Women

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 401-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Hukkinen ◽  
Jaakko Kaprio ◽  
Ulla Broms ◽  
Anne Viljanen ◽  
Daniel Kotz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Function ◽  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Elderly Women ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Environmental Correlations ◽  
Heritability Estimates

Most studies on lung function heritability have been conducted in smokers and non-smokers using cross-sectional study design. Smoking patterns may, however, confound the contribution of genetic factors. We investigated heritability of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC ratio longitudinally, excluding the effects of smoking. A sample of never smoking female twins (n = 374), aged 63–76 at baseline, answered health questionnaires and attended spirometry in years 2000 and 2003. Bivariate structural equation modeling, restricted to adequate spirometry performances (baseline n = 339, follow-up n = 252), was used to estimate genetic and environmental influences on consecutive measurements of FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC. The best-fitting models included additive genetic and non-shared environmental effects. Heritability estimates of 32% and 36% for FEV1, 41% and 37% for FVC, while 46% and 16% for FEV1/FVC were found at baseline and at follow-up. Genetic correlation between FEV1 and FEV1/FVC heritability estimates approached unity, whereas correlation between FVC estimates was 0.80. Environmental correlations were 0.69 for FEV1, 0.62 for FVC, and 0.07 for FEV1/FVC. In never smokers, additive genetic and non-shared environmental effects explain the inter-individual variations in FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC. One third of the variation in FEV1 and FVC is explained by genetic and two thirds by environmental effects. Between 2000 and 2003, environmental effects on FEV1/FVC changed, and the proportion of variance explained by environmental effects increased remarkably. Genetic effects on FEV1 and FEV1/FVC are common to consecutive measurements, whereas at follow-up, new genetic factors explained 14% of the observed variance in FVC.

Longitudinal Stability in Genetic Effects on Children's Conversational Language Productivity

2012 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 739-753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Segebart DeThorne ◽  
Nicole Harlaar ◽  
Stephen A. Petrill ◽  
Kirby Deater-Deckard
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Longitudinal Stability ◽  
Conversational Language ◽  
Language Measures ◽  
Time Point

Purpose The authors examined the longitudinal stability of genetic and environmental influences on children's productive language sample measures during the early school-age years. Method Twin study methodology with structural equation modeling was used to derive univariate estimates of additive genetic (A), shared environmental (C), and nonshared environmental (E) effects on language measures at each of 2 time points, based on 487 twins at the 1st-grade time point and 387 twins at the 2nd-grade time point. To address questions of stability over time, the authors used longitudinal latent factor analysis. Results Stability in the Conversational Language factor was accounted for almost entirely by shared genetic effects between 1st and 2nd grade, meaning no new genetic effects were observed at the 2nd time point. In contrast, nonshared environmental effects were entirely time point specific, meaning whatever nonshared environmental influences were operating at the first time point were not influencing individual variation in the language factor at the second time point. Conclusion The discussion in this article centers on possible candidates for both genetic and nonshared environmental effects as well as implications for clinical practice and future research.

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