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. 2008 Jul;38(4):339-47.
doi: 10.1007/s10519-008-9202-7. Epub 2008 Mar 27.

Gene-environment correlation and interaction in peer effects on adolescent alcohol and tobacco use

K Paige Harden  1 , Jennifer E Hill, Eric Turkheimer, Robert E Emery
Affiliations

Gene-environment correlation and interaction in peer effects on adolescent alcohol and tobacco use

K Paige Harden et al. Behav Genet. 2008 Jul.

Abstract

Peer relationships are commonly thought to be critical for adolescent socialization, including the development of negative health behaviors such as alcohol and tobacco use. The interplay between genetic liability and peer influences on the development of adolescent alcohol and tobacco use was examined using a nationally-representative sample of adolescent sibling pairs and their best friends. Genetic factors, some of them related to an adolescent's own substance use and some of them independent of use, were associated with increased exposure to best friends with heavy substance use--a gene-environment correlation. Moreover, adolescents who were genetically liable to substance use were more vulnerable to the adverse influences of their best friends--a gene-environment interaction.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Model of Relations between best friend and target substance use. Note: The covariance between genetic components (covsib) was fixed such that the correlation equaled 1.0 in MZ pairs, 0.5 in DZ and FS pairs, 0.25 in HS pairs, 0.125 in CO pairs, and 0 in NR pairs. Target/best friend gender, target age, and best friend age were included as covariates but are not illustrated
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Relation between best friend and target substance use by quartile of genetic risk. Note: Solid line represents regression line of best fit; broken lines represent 95% confidence intervals around regression line
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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