101752: Bivariate analysis of disordered eating characteristics in adolescence and young adulthood

About the Course:

Objective: We examined the etiology of two disordered eating characteristics. Method: Participants included 1470 female adolescent and young adult twins and their female non-twin siblings. Phenotypic factor analyses of a seven-item eating pathology screening tool yielded two factors: weight and shape concerns and behaviors (WSCB) and binge eating (BE). Univariate and bivariate extended twin analyses (including cotwins and nontwin siblings) were used to estimate the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on these characteristics. Results: Analyses indicated that individual differences in WSCB and BE could be explained by additive genetic influences (a2 = 0.43 (95% CI: 0.33-0.52) and 0.49 (95% CI: 0.36-0.58), respectively, with the remaining variance due to nonshared environmental influences. The genetic correlation between WSCB and BE was estimated at 0.64; the nonshared environmental correlation was estimated at 0.27. Conclusions: These results corroborate previous findings on genetic and environmental influences on disordered eating characteristics and suggest that findings can be extended to nontwin populations.

Journal/Publisher:

Wiley Interscience Journal, International Journal of Eating Disorders

Publication Date:

December 2010

Authors

Michael C. Stallings PhD; Melissa A. Munn MPE; Soo Hyun Rhee PhD; Robin P. Corley PhD; Sally Ann Rhea BS; Laura E. Sobik PhD; John K. Hewitt PhD

About the Authors:

Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado; Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado

Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado; Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado

Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado; Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado

Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado

Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado

James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia

Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado; Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado

Recommended For:

This course is recommended for health care professionals, especially psychologists, counselors, social workers, and nurses who seek knowledge about (children’s behavior problems and intervention strategies). It is appropriate for an introductory level of participants’ knowledge.

Course Objectives:

1. Identify how twins can be used to investigate genetic and environmental influences on behavior.

2. Relate how nontwin siblings of twins can be informative regarding twin-specific shared environmental influences.

3. Describe how common genetic and environmental factors influence two behaviors; in this case, weight and shape concerns and behaviors (WSCB) and binge eating (BE).