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Variance Components Models for Physical Activity With Age as Modifier: A Comparative Twin Study in Seven Countries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Jacqueline M. Vink ,
Dorret I. Boomsma ,
Sarah E. Medland ,
Marleen H. M. de Moor ,
Janine H. Stubbe ,
Belinda K. Cornes ,
Nicholas G. Martin ,
Axel Skytthea ,
Kirsten O. Kyvik  and
Richard J. Rose
...Show all authors
Jacqueline M. Vink*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, the Netherlands. [email protected]
Dorret I. Boomsma
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, the Netherlands.
Sarah E. Medland
Affiliation:
Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia.
Marleen H. M. de Moor
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, the Netherlands.
Janine H. Stubbe
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, the Netherlands.
Belinda K. Cornes
Affiliation:
Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia.
Nicholas G. Martin
Affiliation:
Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia.
Axel Skytthea
Affiliation:
Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.
Kirsten O. Kyvik
Affiliation:
Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.
Richard J. Rose
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, United States of America; Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Urho M. Kujala
Affiliation:
Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyaskyla, Finland.
Jaakko Kaprio
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland; Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Institute for Molecular Medicine FIMM, Helsinki, Finland.
Jennifer R. Harris
Affiliation:
Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
Nancy L. Pedersen
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Lynn Cherkas
Affiliation:
Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit, St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
Tim D. Spector
Affiliation:
Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit, St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
Eco J. C. de Geus
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, the Netherlands.
*
*Address for correspondence: Jacqueline M. Vink, Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Van der Boechorststraat 1, The Netherlands, 1081 BT Amsterdam.

Abstract

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Physical activity is influenced by genetic factors whose expression may change with age. We employed an extension to the classical twin model that allows a modifier variable, age, to interact with the effects of the latent genetic and environmental factors. The model was applied to self-reported data from twins aged 19 to 50 from seven countries that collaborated in the GenomEUtwin project: Australia, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Netherlands, Sweden and United Kingdom. Results confirmed the importance of genetic influences on physical activity in all countries and showed an age-related decrease in heritability for 4 countries. In the other three countries age did not interact with heritability but those samples were smaller or had a more restricted age range. Effects of shared environment were absent, except in older Swedish participants. The study confirms the importance of taking age effects into account when exploring the genetic and environmental contribution to physical activity. It also suggests that the power of genome-wide association studies to identify the genetic variants contributing to physical activity may be larger in young adult cohorts.

Keywords

genesenvironmentphysical activitylife spancross-cultural
Type
Articles
Information
Twin Research and Human Genetics , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , 01 February 2011 , pp. 25 - 34
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011