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Rural environments reduce the genetic influence on adolescent substance use and rule-breaking behavior.
L N Legrand1, M Keyes, M McGue
1Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. legra002@umn.edu
Psychological Medicine
|October 2, 2007
Summary
Rural environments may lessen genetic influence on adolescent male problem behaviors, shifting influence to shared environmental factors. This highlights gene-environment interactions in substance use and conduct issues.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Genetics
- Environmental Psychology
- Adolescent Development
Background:
- Genetic and environmental factors influence adolescent behavior.
- Understanding gene-environment interactions is crucial for intervention programs.
- This study investigates environmental moderation of genetic effects on adolescent externalizing behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if rural environments moderate genetic and environmental influences on adolescent substance use and rule-breaking behavior.
- To examine gene-environment interactions in externalizing psychopathology.
- To assess how environmental settings impact the heritability of adolescent problem behaviors.
Main Methods:
- A sample of over 1200 adolescent twins from Minnesota was analyzed.
- Participants were categorized into urban or rural environmental settings.
- Biometric factor modeling assessed genetic and shared environmental contributions to externalizing behaviors (substance use, conduct disorder symptoms).
Main Results:
- Significant residency effects were found only in the male adolescent sample.
- In urban settings, genetic factors substantially influenced externalizing behavior.
- In rural settings, shared environmental factors became more influential for male adolescents' externalizing behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest a gene-environment interaction in the development of problem behaviors in male adolescents.
- Heritability of externalizing behaviors is context-dependent, varying by environment.
- Specific environments may influence the expression of genetic predispositions for adolescent problem behaviors.
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