GENETIC & SOCIAL CO DETERMINANTS OF YOUTH BEHAVIORS

众所周知，哮喘、过敏性鼻炎和特应性皮炎等特应性疾病与抑郁和焦虑的发生率高于正常水平有关。同样，一些行为障碍，包括抑郁症、恐慌症和社交焦虑症，都与特应性体征和症状的高发率有关。目前尚不清楚这种特应性与行为障碍的共变是由于一种疾病引起另一种疾病的影响，还是由于环境或遗传共同风险因素。确定由遗传或环境影响引起的表型变异比例的一种有用的方法是双胞胎研究设计。本研究提出，通过对同卵（MZ）和异卵（DZ）青春期双胞胎进行详细的实验室测量，以及抑郁、焦虑、人格因素和保健行为的自我报告测量，更充分地确定由共同遗传或环境因素导致的特应性和行为症状的协方差比例。本研究的具体目的是：1)建立MZ和DZ双胞胎的特应性、情感和焦虑症状的协方差；2)确定遗传(A)、共享(C)或非共享环境(E)因素在协方差中所占的比例；3)确定由遗传(A)、共享(C)或非共享环境(E)输入引起的医疗保健行为变异的比例；4)建立同卵双胞胎抑郁、焦虑与健康行为的协方差。

Atopic disorders, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis, are known to be associated with higher than normal rates of depression and anxiety. Likewise, several behavioral disorders, including depression, panic disorder and social anxiety, have been linked with high rates of atopic signs and symptoms. It is unclear whether this covariation of atopy with behavioral disorders is due to effects of one disorder causing the other, or to either an environmental or genetic common risk factor. One methodology useful for ascertaining the proportion of variance of a phenotype due to genetic or environmental effects is the twin study design. This study proposes to more fully determine the proportion of covariance due to common genetic or environmental factors underlying atopy and behavioral symptoms by use of detailed laboratory measurements of atopy, as well as several self report measures of depression, anxiety, personality factors and health care behaviors, in monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) adolescent twins. The Specific aims of the study are: 1) To establish the covariance of atopy and affective and anxiety symptoms in MZ and DZ twin pairs; 2) To determine what proportion of the co-variance is due to genetic (A), shared (C) or non-shared environmental (E) factors; 3) To establish the portion of variance in health care behaviors due to genetic (A), shared (C) or non-shared environmental (E) inputs; and 4) To establish the covariance of depression, anxiety and health behaviors in monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs.