Social, behavioral, and genetic linkages from adolescence into adulthood

Am J Public Health. 2013 Oct;103 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S25-32. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.301181. Epub 2013 Aug 8.

Abstract

The influence of genetic factors on health and behavior is conditioned by social, cultural, institutional, and physical environments in which individuals live, work, and play. We encourage studies supporting multilevel integrative approaches to understanding these contributions to health, and describe the Add Health study as an exemplar. Add Health is a large sample of US adolescents in grades 7 to 12 in 1994-1995 followed into adulthood with 4 in-home interviews and biomarker collections, including DNA. In addition to sampling multiple environments and measuring diverse social and health behavior, Add Health features a fully articulated behavioral genetic sample (3000 pairs) and ongoing genotyping of 12,000 archived samples. We illustrate approaches to understanding health through investigation of the interplay among biological, psychosocial, and physical, contextual, or cultural experiences.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior*
  • Adult
  • Behavior*
  • Child
  • Female
  • Gene-Environment Interaction
  • Genetic Linkage*
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Interviews as Topic
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Phenotype
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk-Taking
  • Social Environment*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult