Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-r5zm4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-07T13:47:28.219Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Life Situation, Self reported Health and Coping Ability of 35-year old Twins and Controls – A Follow-up of a Longitudinal Swedish Twin Study at Adolescence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

A L. Lange  and
S. Fischbein
A L. Lange*
Affiliation:
Department of Special Education, Institute of Education, Stockholm, Sweden
S. Fischbein
Affiliation:
Department of Special Education, Institute of Education, Stockholm, Sweden
*
Stockholm Institute of Education, Department of Special Education P.O. Box 47308, S-100 74 Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

During the years 1964 to 1971 a nationally representative sample of MZ and DZ twins and controls was followed through the Swedish compulsory school. The main purpose was to study physical and mental growth during puberty as well as heredity-environment influences on these growth processes.

After 20 years a follow-up has been made of this sample with the purpose of investigating heredity-environment influences on life situation and self reported health at mid-life in relation to background factors collected during adolescence. 43 pairs of MZ twins, 90 pairs of DZ same sex and opposite sex twins as well 322 controls agreed to participate. A questionnaire was sent out to this group dealing with their present life situation such as family structure, economy, education and occupation. Other areas of interest were self reported health and ability to cope with their present life situation. The disadvantages found for MZ female twins at adolescence seem to persist at mid-life and ratings of school adjustment were related to coping ability as grown ups. This first report presents comparisons between twins and controls as well as males and females. To estimate heredity influences intraclass correlations for the twin pairs are calculated and for coping ability such influences seem to be quite conspicuous. Sex specific factors seem to operate regarding coping ability and satisfaction in educational choice and level. Generally, the results indicate some advantages for the males regarding self reported life situation and health. Possible reasons for such sex differences are discussed. This study has been supported by grants from the Swedish Council for Social Research.

Keywords

TwinsControlsHeredity-environment influencesLongitudinal life situationSelf reported healthCoping abilityIndividual development
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 45 , Issue 4 , October 1996 , pp. 405 - 416
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1996

References

REFERENCES

1. Alin Åkerman, B, Fischbein, S (1991): A Longitudinal Study of Twins and Nontwins from Birth to 18 Years of Age. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 40: 29–40.Google ScholarPubMed
2. Antonovsky, A (1987): Unraveling the Mystery of Health. How People Manage Stress and Stay Well. San Francisco, London: Jossey-Bass Publishers.Google Scholar
3. Fischbein, S (1979): Heredity-Environment Influences on Growth and Development During Adolescence. Lund: Liber.Google Scholar
4. Fischbein, S (1984): Self-and Teacher-Rated School Adjustment in MZ and DZ Twins. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 33: 205–212.Google ScholarPubMed
5. Fischbein, S, Lange, A-L, Lichtenstein, P: Quantitative Genetic Analyses of Gender Differences in Educational and Occupational Careers. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 41, 1, 73–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6. Frankenhaeuser, M, Lundberg, U, Chesney, MA (1991): (Red.). Women, work and health. Stress and opportunities. New York: Plenum.Google Scholar
7. Frankenhaeuser, M (1993): Kvinnligt, Manligt, Stressigt. (Feminine, Masculine, Stressful) Wiken: Bra Böcker.Google Scholar
8. Furu, M (1985): Life Patterns and Health. A longitudinal study of men from childhood to middle age. Malmö: Liber.Google Scholar
9. Furu, M (1991): Livsmönster och Hälsa. Känsla av sammanhang i tillvaron – teoretisk bakgrund och mätmetod. (Life Patterns and Health. Sense of Coherence – theoretic background and method of measurement). Stockholm Institute of Education, Department of Educational Research.Google Scholar
10. Lange, A-L, Fischbein, S (1992): From Puberty to Mid-life: A Follow-up Study of Twins and Controls. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 41: 105–112.Google ScholarPubMed
11. Nordqvist, T (1977): What other people say and you yourself think. An analysis of a questionnaire to students in grade 4 and grade 6. (In Swedish) Stockholm Institute of Education, Department of Educational Research.Google Scholar
12. Plomin, R, McClearn, GE, Pedersen, N, Nesselroade, JR, Bergeman, C. S. (1988). Genetic Influence on Childhood Family Environment Perceived Retrospectively From the Last Half of the Life Span. Developmental Psychology, Vol. 24, 5, 738–745.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13. Tanner, JM (1978): Foetus into Man. London: Open books.Google Scholar
14. The National Swedish Social Welfare Board (1994): Folkhälsorapport (Mental Health Report) 1994: 9. Stockholm.Google Scholar
15. The National Swedish Social Welfare Board (1994). Social Rapport (Social Report) 1994: 10. Stockholm.Google Scholar
16. Westin-Lindgren, G (1979): Physical and Mental Development in Swedish Urban Schoolchildren. Lund: Liber.Google Scholar