Genetic and Environmental Factors in Health-related Behaviors: Studies on Finnish Twins and Twin Families

Kaprio, Jaakko; Pulkkinen, Lea; Rose, Richard J.

doi:10.1375/136905202320906101

Cited by 239 publications

(128 citation statements)

References 24 publications

(10 reference statements)

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“…The participants were recruited from a population-based longitudinal survey of five consecutive birth cohorts (1975–1979) of twins, their siblings and parents, identified through the national population registry of Finland [16]. Twin pairs included in the current study were enrolled based on their responses to questions on weight and height at age 23–27 years [12]–[15], [17], [18].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acquired Obesity Is Associated with Changes in the Serum Lipidomic Profile Independent of Genetic Effects – A Monozygotic Twin Study

et al. 2007

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Both genetic and environmental factors are involved in the etiology of obesity and the associated lipid disturbances. We determined whether acquired obesity is associated with changes in global serum lipid profiles independent of genetic factors in young adult monozygotic (MZ) twins. 14 healthy MZ pairs discordant for obesity (10 to 25 kg weight difference) and ten weight concordant control pairs aged 24–27 years were identified from a large population-based study. Insulin sensitivity was assessed by the euglycemic clamp technique, and body composition by DEXA (% body fat) and by MRI (subcutaneous and intra-abdominal fat). Global characterization of lipid molecular species in serum was performed by a lipidomics strategy using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Obesity, independent of genetic influences, was primarily related to increases in lysophosphatidylcholines, lipids found in proinflammatory and proatherogenic conditions and to decreases in ether phospholipids, which are known to have antioxidant properties. These lipid changes were associated with insulin resistance, a pathogonomic characteristic of acquired obesity in these young adult twins. Our results show that obesity, already in its early stages and independent of genetic influences, is associated with deleterious alterations in the lipid metabolism known to facilitate atherogenesis, inflammation and insulin resistance.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acquired Obesity Is Associated with Changes in the Serum Lipidomic Profile Independent of Genetic Effects – A Monozygotic Twin Study

et al. 2007

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“…This same subsample was invited to participate in the fourth wave of data collection in 2005–2009, when the twins were 21–26 years old (the third wave of data collection was a questionnaire study when the twins were 17 years old). All the twins who participated in the fourth wave of data collection were contacted for this study, yielding a response rate of 87%; for a more detailed description see Kaprio et al (2002) and Kaprio (2013). The focus in the present study was on personal goals and depressive symptoms, and hence individuals who did not respond to the relevant items in the questionnaire ( n = 89) were excluded from the analysis.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Depressive Symptoms and Career-Related Goal Appraisals: Genetic and Environmental Correlations and Interactions

et al. 2014

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In order to further understand why depressive symptoms are associated with negative goal appraisals, the present study examined the genetic and environmental correlations and interactions between depressive symptoms and career-related goal appraisals. A total of 1,240 Finnish twins aged 21℃26 years completed a questionnaire containing items on the appraisal of their career goals along five dimensions: importance, progress, effort, strain, and self-efficacy. In the same questionnaire, the 10-item General Behavior Inventory assessed depressive symptoms. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the genetic and environmental correlations and gene-environment interactions between the career-goal appraisals and depressive symptoms. Associations were identified, and were attributed to environmental factors. Of the career-related goal appraisals, the shared environmental component was of a higher magnitude for the dimension of strain among the depressed compared with non-depressed subjects. The results indicate that the interplay between depressive symptoms and negative career-related goal appraisals is significantly affected by environmental factors, and thus possibly susceptible to targeted interventions.

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“…Data were collected at four time points from an age 16 baseline (ages 16, 17, 18½, and 22–25). For these analyses, we used survey data from the fourth wave assessment when twins were between the ages of 23 to 27 years [45]. Combining the two cohorts and selecting the 19 to 40 year old twins resulted in a total of 19,633 participants and 8,842 complete twin pairs.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic Influences on Exercise Participation in 37.051 Twin Pairs from Seven Countries

et al. 2006

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BackgroundA sedentary lifestyle remains a major threat to health in contemporary societies. To get more insight in the relative contribution of genetic and environmental influences on individual differences in exercise participation, twin samples from seven countries participating in the GenomEUtwin project were used.MethodologySelf-reported data on leisure time exercise behavior from Australia, Denmark, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and United Kingdom were used to create a comparable index of exercise participation in each country (60 minutes weekly at a minimum intensity of four metabolic equivalents).Principal FindingsModest geographical variation in exercise participation was revealed in 85,198 subjects, aged 19–40 years. Modeling of monozygotic and dizygotic twin resemblance showed that genetic effects play an important role in explaining individual differences in exercise participation in each country. Shared environmental effects played no role except for Norwegian males. Heritability of exercise participation in males and females was similar and ranged from 48% to 71% (excluding Norwegian males).ConclusionsGenetic variation is important in individual exercise behavior and may involve genes influencing the acute mood effects of exercise, high exercise ability, high weight loss ability, and personality. This collaborative study suggests that attempts to find genes influencing exercise participation can pool exercise data across multiple countries and different instruments.

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Genetic and Environmental Factors in Health-related Behaviors: Studies on Finnish Twins and Twin Families

Cited by 239 publications

References 24 publications

Acquired Obesity Is Associated with Changes in the Serum Lipidomic Profile Independent of Genetic Effects – A Monozygotic Twin Study

Acquired Obesity Is Associated with Changes in the Serum Lipidomic Profile Independent of Genetic Effects – A Monozygotic Twin Study

Depressive Symptoms and Career-Related Goal Appraisals: Genetic and Environmental Correlations and Interactions

Genetic Influences on Exercise Participation in 37.051 Twin Pairs from Seven Countries

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