scholarly journals Has the Genetic Contribution to the Propensity to Gamble Increased? Evidence From National Twin Studies Conducted in 1962 and 2002

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy S. Slutske
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Genetic Influences ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Merit Scholarship ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Time Interaction ◽  
Legal Forms

Social changes, such as the expansion of legal forms of gambling, can influence not only the prevalence of gambling, but can also shape the relative importance of genetic and environmental contributions to individual differences in the propensity to gamble. In the present study, I examined differences in the prevalence and in the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to gambling involvement in the United States in 1962 versus 2002. The data came from two sources: (1) a survey of 839 17-year-old same-sex twin pairs from the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test twin study, and (2) an interview of 477 18- to 26-year-old same-sex twin pairs from Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Similar measures of gambling participation were included in the two studies. Evidence for a genotype-by-time interaction was evaluated by testing whether the contribution of genetic influences was greater in the more recently born cohort of twins. Despite the major changes in the gambling landscape over the intervening 40 years, there was no evidence for such an interaction. The contribution of genetic factors and environmental factors did not significantly differ and there was no evidence for genetic influences at either time point. Instead, the variation in the propensity to gamble was explained nearly equally by common and unique environmental factors. Explanations for this surprising finding are discussed.

scholarly journals Genetic and Environmental Pathways Underlying Personality Traits and Perceived Stress: Concurrent and Longitudinal Twin Studies

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 614-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Luo ◽  
Jaime Derringer ◽  
Daniel A. Briley ◽  
Brent W. Roberts ◽  
René Mõttus
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Big Five ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
The United States ◽  
Big Five Personality Traits ◽  
Genetic Influences ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Genetic Components

The present study examined the genetic and environmental etiology underlying the Big Five personality traits and perceived stress, concurrently and longitudinally. In study 1, we used the twin sample from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health IV) data. The results indicated that about 70% of the association between the Big Five personality traits and perceived stress was due to genetic influences. In study 2, we used the twin sample from the Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS I and II) to examine the genetic and environmental influences underlying the longitudinal relations between the Big Five personality traits and perceived stress. The results suggested that continuity in perceived stress was primarily accounted for by genetic influences, and changes in perceived stress were mainly due to nonshared environmental influences. The continuity in the association between the five personality traits and perceived stress was largely accounted for by genetic factors, and nonshared environmental factors made greater contributions to changes in the association between personality traits and perceived stress. Among the Big Five personality traits, the genetic components in conscientiousness and neuroticism made substantial contributions to the genetic link between personality traits and perceived stress across both studies. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Personality Psychology

scholarly journals Cohort of birth modifies the association between FTO genotype and BMI

2014 ◽  
Vol 112 (2) ◽  
pp. 354-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Niels Rosenquist ◽  
Steven F. Lehrer ◽  
A. James O’Malley ◽  
Alan M. Zaslavsky ◽  
Jordan W. Smoller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Complex Traits ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Genetic Influences ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Environment Analysis ◽  
Period Effects ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Over Time

A substantial body of research has explored the relative roles of genetic and environmental factors on phenotype expression in humans. Recent research has also sought to identify gene–environment (or g-by-e) interactions, with mixed success. One potential reason for these mixed results may relate to the fact that genetic effects might be modified by changes in the environment over time. For example, the noted rise of obesity in the United States in the latter part of the 20th century might reflect an interaction between genetic variation and changing environmental conditions that together affect the penetrance of genetic influences. To evaluate this hypothesis, we use longitudinal data from the Framingham Heart Study collected over 30 y from a geographically relatively localized sample to test whether the well-documented association between the rs993609 variant of the FTO (fat mass and obesity associated) gene and body mass index (BMI) varies across birth cohorts, time period, and the lifecycle. Such cohort and period effects integrate many potential environmental factors, and this gene-by-environment analysis examines interactions with both time-varying contemporaneous and historical environmental influences. Using constrained linear age–period–cohort models that include family controls, we find that there is a robust relationship between birth cohort and the genotype–phenotype correlation between the FTO risk allele and BMI, with an observed inflection point for those born after 1942. These results suggest genetic influences on complex traits like obesity can vary over time, presumably because of global environmental changes that modify allelic penetrance.

Genetic and Environmental Overlap Between Substance Use and Delinquency in Adolescence: An Analysis by Same-Sex Twins

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle L. Boisvert ◽  
Eric J. Connolly ◽  
Jamie C. Vaske ◽  
Todd A. Armstrong ◽  
Brian B. Boutwell
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Delinquent Behavior ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
National Longitudinal Study ◽  
Offending Behavior ◽  
Genetic Overlap ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors

During adolescence, many teens begin to experiment with substances and engage in delinquent behavior. The current study seeks to examine whether and to what extent genetic and environmental factors contribute to the association between substance use (i.e., marijuana and alcohol) and different forms of delinquent offending (i.e., violent and nonviolent) across males and females. Analyses were based on same-sex twins ( N = 1,072) from the sibling subsample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). The results revealed moderate to large genetic overlap between substance use and delinquent behavior for males. Much of the covariation between alcohol use and offending behavior for females was attributable to common environmental factors, while common genetic factors explained a large portion of the overlap between marijuana use and offending in males and females. The implications of these findings for sex differences in prevention and intervention efforts are discussed from a biosocial perspective.

Genetic Influences on Neonatal Temperament

1990 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.L. Riese
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Neonatal Period ◽  
Newborn Infants ◽  
Genetic Influences ◽  
Genetic Contribution ◽  
Clear Pattern ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Apgar Scores ◽  
Mz Twins

AbstractThe genetic contribution to temperament was assessed during the neonatal period in 172 newborn infants from 47 pairs of monozygotic (MZ) and 39 pairs of same-sex dizygotic (DZ) twins. Zygosity was not related to the neonatal temperament variables. Examination of the scores for twin concordance indicated significant within-pair concordance in temperament ratings, but MZ twins were not more like each other than DZ twins. The results suggested that neonatal temperament was influenced by environmental factors. Further analyses indicated that neonatal temperament was influenced by perinatal variables such as birth weight, 1- and 5-minute Apgar scores, and number of days spent in the hospital. It was concluded that there was no clear pattern of genetic influence on neonatal temperament, and that nonshared environmental factors were an important source of variance for temperament during this period.

The Roles of Twin Studies and Modern Genomic Technologies in Integrative Health Science

2018 ◽  
pp. 34-46
Author(s):  
Robert F. Krueger ◽  
Susan C. South
Keyword(s):  
Allostatic Load ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Transcriptional Response ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Science ◽  
Research Strategies ◽  
Integrative Health ◽  
Genomic Technologies ◽  
Health And Illness ◽  
Modern Genomic

This chapter focuses on genetically informative research design and strategy in integrative health science (IHS). A feature of IHS is studying individual differences in health outcomes together and in a multidisciplinary manner. The chapter focuses on the advantages of using genetically informative research strategies for IHS. Genetically informative strategies are tools to enrich inferences within the IHS paradigm. They help parse the meaning of observed associations between exposures and outcomes. Two strategies are considered for the Midlife in the United States study : (1) Gene × Environment interactions and (2) correlations between education and allostatic load. A strategy likely to be employed in IHS research involves using segments of RNA to understand mechanisms underlying health and illness, focusing on the conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA). The conclusion is that IHS and genetically informative research strategies are natural allies in understanding origins of health and illness in the population at large.

Genetic Influences on Eating and the Eating Disorders

2010 ◽  
pp. 102-122
Author(s):  
Tracey D. Wade
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Disordered Eating ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Genetic Influences ◽  
Shared Environment ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Current State ◽  
Increase Risk ◽  
Eating Practices

The current chapter reviews our progress in understanding how genes influence eating and eating disorders (EDs) by addressing the following areas: (1) how recognition of genetic influences on eating and EDs emerged; (2) the complex nature of genetic action; (3) what twin studies can tell us about genetic influences; and (4) the current state of linkage and association studies. It is concluded that genes are an important part of the explanatory framework for the etiology of EDs, with an important contribution of the shared environment to the development of cognition and attitudes that may initiate disordered eating practices, and a critical contribution of the environment in providing a context within which genetic risk is more likely to be expressed. We currently have a limited understanding of the specific genes that are implicated, and the ways in which genes and the environment work together to increase risk for disordered eating.

Mass School Shootings in the United States: A Novel Root Cause Analysis Using Lay Press Reports

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (13) ◽  
pp. 1423-1428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris A. Rees ◽  
Lois K. Lee ◽  
Eric W. Fleegler ◽  
Rebekah Mannix
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Root Cause Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Shootings ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
Cause Analysis ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Root Cause

School shootings comprise a small proportion of childhood deaths from firearms; however, these shootings receive a disproportionately large share of media attention. We conducted a root cause analysis of 2 recent school shootings in the United States using lay press reports. We reviewed 1760 and analyzed 282 articles from the 10 most trusted news sources. We identified 356 factors associated with the school shootings. Policy-level factors, including a paucity of adequate legislation controlling firearm purchase and ownership, were the most common contributing factors to school shootings. Mental illness was a commonly cited person-level factor, and access to firearms in the home and availability of large-capacity firearms were commonly cited environmental factors. Novel approaches, including root cause analyses using lay media, can identify factors contributing to mass shootings. The policy, person, and environmental factors associated with these school shootings should be addressed as part of a multipronged effort to prevent future mass shootings.

Disaggregation of Latina/o Child and Adult Health Data: A Systematic Review of Public Health Surveillance Surveys in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-79
Author(s):  
Carmela Alcántara ◽  
Shakira F. Suglia ◽  
Irene Perez Ibarra ◽  
A. Louise Falzon ◽  
Elliot McCullough ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Public Health Surveillance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Data ◽  
Health Surveillance ◽  
Adult Health

scholarly journals Multi-Year NDVI Values as Indicator of the Relationship between Spatiotemporal Vegetation Dynamics and Environmental Factors in the Qaidam Basin, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1240
Author(s):  
Junpeng Lou ◽  
Guoyin Xu ◽  
Zhongjing Wang ◽  
Zhigang Yang ◽  
Sanchuan Ni
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Vegetation Dynamics ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Qaidam Basin ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Elevation Gradients ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Different Altitudes

The Qaidam Basin is a unique and complex ecosystem, wherein elevation gradients lead to high spatial heterogeneity in vegetation dynamics and responses to environmental factors. Based on the remote sensing data of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS), we analyzed the spatiotemporal variations of vegetation dynamics and responses to precipitation, accumulative temperature (AT) and soil moisture (SM) in the Qaidam Basin from 2001 to 2016. Moreover, the contribution of those factors to vegetation dynamics at different altitudes was analyzed via an artificial neural network (ANN) model. The results indicated that the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values in the growing season showed an overall upward trend, with an increased rate of 0.001/year. The values of NDVI in low-altitude areas were higher than that in high-altitude areas, and the peak values of NDVI appeared along the elevation gradient at 4400–4600 m. Thanks to the use of ANN, we were able to detect the relative contribution of various environmental factors; the relative contribution rate of AT to the NDVI dynamic was the most significant (35.17%) in the low-elevation region (< 2900 m). In the mid-elevation area (2900–3900 m), precipitation contributed 44.76% of the NDVI dynamics. When the altitude was higher than 3900 m, the relative contribution rates of AT (39.50%) and SM (38.53%) had no significant difference but were significantly higher than that of precipitation (21.97%). The results highlight that the different environmental factors have various contributions to vegetation dynamics at different altitudes, which has important theoretical and practical significance for regulating ecological processes.

scholarly journals Same-Sex Couples and Cognitive Impairment: Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Liu ◽  
Ning Hsieh ◽  
Zhenmei Zhang ◽  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Kenneth M Langa
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Health And Retirement Study ◽  
Sex Partners ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Same Sex Couples ◽  
Retirement Study

Abstract Objectives We provide the first nationally representative population-based study of cognitive disparities among same-sex and different-sex couples in the United States. Methods We analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study (2000–2016). The sample included 23,669 respondents (196 same-sex partners and 23,473 different-sex partners) aged 50 and older who contributed to 85,117 person-period records (496 from same-sex partners and 84,621 from different-sex partners). Cognitive impairment was assessed using the modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Mixed-effects discrete-time hazard regression models were estimated to predict the odds of cognitive impairment. Results The estimated odds of cognitive impairment were 78% (p &lt; .01) higher for same-sex partners than for different-sex partners. This disparity was mainly explained by differences in marital status and, to a much lesser extent, by differences in physical and mental health. Specifically, a significantly higher proportion of same-sex partners than different-sex partners were cohabiting rather than legally married (72.98% vs. 5.42% in the study sample), and cohabitors had a significantly higher risk of cognitive impairment than their married counterparts (odds ratio = 1.53, p &lt; .001). Discussion The findings indicate that designing and implementing public policies and programs that work to eliminate societal homophobia, especially among older adults, is a critical step in reducing the elevated risk of cognitive impairment among older same-sex couples.

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