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Finnish Twins Reared Apart II: Validation of Zygosity, Environmental Dissimilarity and Weight and Height

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

H. Langinvainio ,
M. Koskenvuo ,
J. Kaprio  and
P. Sistonen
H. Langinvainio*
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health Science, University of Helsinki
M. Koskenvuo
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health Science, University of Helsinki
J. Kaprio
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health Science, University of Helsinki
P. Sistonen
Affiliation:
Finnish Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Helsinki
*
Department of Public Health Science, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00290 Helsinki 29, Finland

Abstract

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Within the Finnish Twin Cohort of like-sexed adult twin pairs, a subgroup of pairs separated at an early age has been identified. In 165 pairs, both cotwins responded to questionnaires in 1975 and 1979. An environmental dissimilarity score was formed which consists of items on whether the twins had lived after separation in the same community, attended the same school, were on the same grade at school, how often the cotwins met, how often they met common friends and relatives and whether they attended the same clubs etc, or not. To validate the zygosity diagnosis obtained by questionnaire in 1975, those pairs whose zygosity was unknown as well as those with the least contact after separation were contacted for blood sampling (11 bloodgroups). Of 15 pairs with no zygosity diagnosis, 10 responded (1 no address,2 abroad,2 refused). Six pairs were classified MZ and 4 DZ. In 12 MZ and 8 DZ pairs undergoing bloodgroup determination, the classification of only one pair changed from DZ to MZ. The following intraclass correlations for height and weight were found:

Keywords

TwinsRearing environmentAdoptionBehavior GeneticsWeightHeight
Type
Twins Reared Apart
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 33 , Issue 2 , April 1984 , pp. 251 - 258
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1984

References

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