The social psychology of epigenetics: as understood in stress, inflammation and disease models of health

表观遗传是指在DNA序列赋予的遗传信息之上的一层额外的调控信息。这种调控信息，统称为表观基因组，影响基因的表达、复制和修复。表观基因组使基因组能够对环境做出反应，并被描述为环境压力因素的经历可能导致不利的健康结果（包括癌症、抑郁症、糖尿病、阿尔茨海默氏症和心脏病）的关键环节。目前的研究表明，应激源可以通过促进促炎基因的表达来促进疾病，产生全身性炎症。压力引起的表观遗传变化可以持续很长时间，并可能遗传。然而，这些变化也可能是可逆的，一项新出现的文献表明，保护健康的行为（如体育活动和冥想）可以通过下调促炎基因的表达来抵消负面的表观遗传和健康结果。表观遗传学是一个快速发展的领域，研究越来越多地与公众交流。环境表观遗传学和健康与疾病的发育起源领域的科学家热衷于以一种促进参与健康行为和讨论对公共卫生的影响的方式交流表观遗传学发现。然而，人们担心，目前的传播可能不会带来这些好处，反而可能助长社会和伦理危害，例如歧视、指责和宿命论。社会心理学先前发现，健康问题的框架可以预测与健康相关的态度和行为。本研究将探讨表观遗传学在健康研究中的传播，并检查这种传播的影响。该项目将采用混合方法，利用定量和定性方法来调查研究问题。希望这项工作将提供洞察表观遗传学在健康教育和行为改变方面的社会和心理影响，从而帮助确定这是一种适合未来政策或临床使用的方法。

Epigenetic refers to a layer of additional regulatory information over and above the genetic information conferred by the DNA sequence. This regulatory information, collectively called the epigenome, affects gene expression, replication and repair. The epigenome enables the genome to respond to the environment and has been described as the crucial link by which the experience of environmental stressors can lead to adverse health outcomes, including cancer, depression, diabetes, Alzheimer's and heart disease. Current research indicates that stressors can facilitate disease by promoting expression of pro-inflammatory genes, producing systemic inflammation. Stress-induced epigenetic changes can be long lasting and possibly heritable. However, such changes are also potentially reversible and an emerging literature suggests that health-protective behaviours (e.g. physical activity and meditation) can counteract negative epigenetic and health outcomes by down-regulating expression of pro-inflammatory genes.Epigenetics is a rapidly growing field, with research increasingly communicated to the public. Scientists in the fields of environmental epigenetics and the developmental origins of health and disease are keen to communicate epigenetic findings in a way that promotes engagement in healthy behaviours and discussion of implications for public health. Concerns have been raised, however, that present communications may not deliver these benefits and may instead promote social and ethical harms, such as discrimination, blame and fatalism.Social psychology has previously found that the way in which health issues are framed can predict health-relevant attitudes and behaviours. The present research will explore the communication of epigenetics in health research to the public and examine the impact of this communication. The project will be mixed-methods, utilising both quantitative and qualitative methodology in order to investigate the research questions. It is hoped that this work will provide insight into the social and psychological implications of epigenetics in health education and behaviour change, and in so doing help to determine whether this is a suitable approach for future policy or clinical use.