scholarly journals Modeling Genetic and Environmental Factors in Biological Systems Using Structural Equation Modeling: An Application to Energy Balance

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora L. Nock ◽  
Li Li ◽  
Robert C. Elston
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors

scholarly journals Heritability of Type 2 Diabetes in the Washington State Twin Registry

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ally R. Avery ◽  
Glen E. Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Washington State ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Adult Twins

AbstractApproximately 12% of U.S. adults have type 2 diabetes (T2D). Diagnosed T2D is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors including age and lifestyle. In adults 45 years and older, the Discordant Twin (DISCOTWIN) consortium of twin registries from Europe and Australia showed a moderate-to-high contribution of genetic factors of T2D with a pooled heritability of 72%. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contributions of genetic and environmental factors of T2D in twins 45 years and older in a U.S. twin cohort (Washington State Twin Registry, WSTR) and compare the estimates to the DISCOTWIN consortium. We also compared these estimates with twins under the age of 45. Data were obtained from 2692 monozygotic (MZ) and same-sex dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs over 45 and 4217 twin pairs under 45 who responded to the question ‘Has a doctor ever diagnosed you with (type 2) diabetes?’ Twin similarity was analyzed using both tetrachoric correlations and structural equation modeling. Overall, 9.4% of MZ and 14.7% of DZ twins over the age of 45 were discordant for T2D in the WSTR, compared to 5.1% of MZ and 8% of DZ twins in the DISCOTWIN consortium. Unlike the DISCOTWIN consortium in which heritability was 72%, heritability was only 52% in the WSTR. In twins under the age of 45, heritability did not contribute to the variance in T2D. In a U.S. sample of adult twins, environmental factors appear to be increasingly important in the development of T2D.

scholarly journals Religious Upbringing and Neuroticism in Dutch Twin Families

2007 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gonneke Willemsen ◽  
Dorret I. Boomsma
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Twin Families

AbstractEvidence for a relation between neuroticism and religion is scarce and inconsistent. The aims of the present study were to determine the association of religious upbringing with adult neuroticism scores and to examine the effect of religious upbringing on the heritability of neuroticism. As part of a longitudinal survey of twin families from the Netherlands Twin Register, data were collected on neuroticism and religious upbringing. Restricting the sample to persons aged 25 and over resulted in a sample of 4369 twins and 1304 siblings from 2698 families. Religious upbringing was significantly associated with neuroticism; in both men and women neuroticism levels were lower in those who had received a religious upbringing. There were no sex or twinsibling differences in neuroticism variances and covariances. Structural equation modeling showed differences in heritability between those with and without religious upbringing. In the group with religious upbringing, variation in neuroticism was determined for 41% by additive genetic factors and for the remaining 59% by unique environmental factors. In the group who had not received a religious upbringing, variation in neuroticism was determined for 55% by genetic factors, with evidence for both additive and nonadditive factors, and for the remaining 45% by unique environmental influences. In conclusion, having received a religious upbringing is associated with lower neuroticism scores and a lower heritability in adulthood.

A Genetic Epidemiologic Study of Social Support in a Chinese Sample

2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-yan Ji ◽  
Yong-hua Hu ◽  
Yue-qin Huang ◽  
Wei-hua Cao ◽  
Jun Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Epidemiologic Study ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Chinese Sample ◽  
Chinese Adult ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors

AbstractAccumulated evidence suggests that social support is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. However, there are little data that examine this issue from Asian samples. We reported results from a preliminary study that examined familial effects on social support in a Chinese adult twin sample. We administered a 10-item social support instrument that measures three dimensions of social support (i.e., objective support, subjective support, and utilization of support) developed for the Chinese population. Two hundred forty-two same-sex twin pairs, where both members of the pair completed the personal interview, were included in the final analysis. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate additive genetic (A), shared environmental (C), and nonshared environmental (E) effects on each dimension of social support. Familial factors (A+C) explained 56.63% [95% CI = 45.48–65.72%] and 42.42% [95% CI = 29.93–53.25%] of the total phenotypic variances of subjective support and utilization of support, respectively. For the objective support, genetic effects did not exist, but common environmental effect explained 37.56% [95% CI = 26.17–48.28%] of the total phenotypic variances. Neither gender nor age effects were seen on any dimension of social support. Except for objective support, genetic factors probably influence variation in subjective support and utilization of support. Shared environmental factors may influence all dimensions of social support.

Testing the Assumption of Uncorrelated Errors for Short Scales by Means of Structural Equation Modeling

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 201-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Beauducel ◽  
Anja Leue
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Error Score ◽  
Classical Test Theory ◽  
Test Theory ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Eysenck Personality Questionnaire ◽  
Personality Questionnaire ◽  
True Score

It is shown that a minimal assumption should be added to the assumptions of Classical Test Theory (CTT) in order to have positive inter-item correlations, which are regarded as a basis for the aggregation of items. Moreover, it is shown that the assumption of zero correlations between the error score estimates is substantially violated in the population of individuals when the number of items is small. Instead, a negative correlation between error score estimates occurs. The reason for the negative correlation is that the error score estimates for different items of a scale are based on insufficient true score estimates when the number of items is small. A test of the assumption of uncorrelated error score estimates by means of structural equation modeling (SEM) is proposed that takes this effect into account. The SEM-based procedure is demonstrated by means of empirical examples based on the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised.

The Measurement Invariance of the Short Dark Triad

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 207-218
Author(s):  
Mihaela Grigoraș ◽  
Andreea Butucescu ◽  
Amalia Miulescu ◽  
Cristian Opariuc-Dan ◽  
Dragoș Iliescu
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Item Response ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Dark Triad ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Scale Level ◽  
High Stake ◽  
Differential Functioning ◽  
Item Functioning

Abstract. Given the fact that most of the dark personality measures are developed based on data collected in low-stake settings, the present study addresses the appropriateness of their use in high-stake contexts. Specifically, we examined item- and scale-level differential functioning of the Short Dark Triad (SD3; Paulhus & Jones, 2011 ) measure across testing contexts. The Short Dark Triad was administered to applicant ( N = 457) and non-applicant ( N = 592) samples. Item- and scale-level invariances were tested using an Item Response Theory (IRT)-based approach and a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach, respectively. Results show that more than half of the SD3 items were flagged for Differential Item Functioning (DIF), and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) results supported configural, but not metric invariance. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document