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Gene-Environment Interplay in the Development of Overweight
Marthe de Roo1, Catharina Hartman2, René Veenstra3
1Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Department of Pedagogy and Educational Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Summary
Higher genetic predisposition increases overweight risk in youth and young adults. This genetic influence is not offset by socioeconomic status or active parents, acting additively with lower socioeconomic status.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Public Health
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Overweight in youth is a complex issue influenced by genetic and environmental factors.
- Gene-environment interactions (G×E) are increasingly studied using individual genetic data.
- Understanding genetic predispositions for overweight is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the influence of genetic predisposition on overweight trajectories from adolescence to early adulthood.
- To determine if higher socioeconomic status and parental physical activity attenuate genetic predisposition for overweight.
- To investigate gene-environment interactions in the development of overweight.
Main Methods:
- Latent class growth models were used to analyze overweight trajectories in a large adolescent cohort (n=2720).
- A polygenic score for body mass index (BMI) was derived from a large genome-wide association study (N=~700,000).
- Multinomial logistic regression models tested interactions between genetic predisposition, socioeconomic status, and parental physical activity.
Main Results:
- Three distinct overweight trajectories were identified: non-overweight, adolescent-onset overweight, and persistent overweight.
- Polygenic score for BMI and socioeconomic status predicted persistent and adolescent-onset overweight trajectories compared to non-overweight.
- Genetic predisposition, but not G×E, differentiated adolescent-onset from persistent overweight.
Conclusions:
- Higher genetic predisposition is associated with increased risk and earlier onset of overweight during adolescence and young adulthood.
- Socioeconomic status and parental physical activity did not mitigate genetic predisposition for overweight.
- Lower socioeconomic status and higher genetic predisposition act as additive risk factors for overweight development.
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