BIOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL DETERMINANTS OF ALCOHOL

该项目的目的是调查遗传和环境 饮酒习惯和饮酒的个体差异的原因 消费。从其他国家的研究中存在的证据表明 在这种变化中，因素起到了一定的作用。也有证据表明 文化传播和夫妻相似性是 家庭因素对饮酒习惯的重要影响。目前还没有研究 调查了所有这些潜在的重要变异原因。 有关饮酒习惯和饮酒情况的问卷将邮寄至 3600对同卵(MZ)和异卵(DZ)双胞胎，年龄21-40岁 是通过弗吉尼亚双胞胎登记处确认的。2500份回复 预计将有完整的配对，类似的调查问卷将邮寄到 他们的父母、兄弟姐妹、配偶和公婆。7500份回复 非双胞胎亲属预计会产生12,500个总样本量 个人。用最大似然法对复杂路径模型进行拟合 方法来测试以下潜力的重要性 影响饮酒习惯变化的因素：遗传因素、文化因素 A)父母对子女的影响；b)子女对父母的影响；c) 兄弟姐妹相互依赖；d)家庭以外的环境因素； 分类交配。这些影响可能因性别而异，且因性别而异 年龄。来检验饮酒与婚姻的相关性是否源于 婚后的各种交配或饮酒习惯的趋同 250对新婚配偶的子样本将被第二次发送 第一次问卷调查18个月后。一个次要目标是确定， 通过关于酗酒和依赖的适当项目，样本 双胞胎是潜在的酗酒者，他们将成为 随后，关于遗传和环境影响的独立项目 酗酒。

The aim of the project is to investigate the genetical and environmental causes of individual differences in drinking habits and alcohol consumption. Evidence exists from studies in other countries that genetic factors play a part in this variation. There is also evidence that cultural transmission and the similarity of husbands and wives are important familial influences on drinking habits. No study has yet investigated all these potentially important causes of variation. Questionnaires on drinking habits and alcohol consumption will be mailed to 3,600 pairs of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins aged 21-40 and ascertained through the Virginia Twin Registry. Replies from 2,500 complete pairs are anticipated and similar questionnaires will be mailed to their parents, sibs, spouses and parents-in-law. Replies from 7,500 non-twin relatives are expected, yielding a total sample size of 12,500 individuals. Complex path models will be fitted by maximum likelihood methods to these data to test the importance of the following potential influences on variation in drinking habits: inherited factors; cultural effects of a) parents on their children; b) children on their parents; c) siblings on each other; d) environmental factors outside the family; assortative mating. These effects may differ between sexes and vary with age. To test whether marital correlation for alcohol consumption is due to assortative mating or convergence in drinking habits following marriage, a sub-sample of 250 pairs of newlywed spouses will be sent a second questionnaire 18 months after the first. A subsidiary aim is to ascertain, through appropriate items on alcohol abuse and dependence, a sample of twins who are potential alcoholics and who will form the basis of a subsequent, independent project on genetic and environmental influences on alcoholism.