Genetically Informed Approach

Sharon Begley of The Wall Street Journal has an interesting piece on the influence of genetics with respect to identifying causal relationships between risk factors and disease aka “genetically informed approach.” The examples she uses are:

1. Divorce and children’s increased risk of depression – Parents may be more likely to divorce if they are depressed and children of these parents may have inherited genes predisposing them to depression.

2. Mother’s smoking/nicotine and children’s risk of behavioral problems – Genes may predispose moms to smoke and the same genes may be inherited by children which lead to lower intelligence, impulsivity, and aggression.

3. Teen motherhood and risk of dropping out of school and poverty – Genes may predispose girls to low IQ, conduct problems, and antisocial behaviors that lead to teen pregnancy.

But not all associations involve genes. Environmental effects are still very important in many behaviors. For instance, fathers who steal, brawl, and are chronically unemployed tend to have children who do the same. But this association is dependent on the amount of time children live with the presence of such a parent.

Jenae Neiderhiser of George Washington University:

…the strength of genetically informed studies is that they are just as useful for identifying the effects of environment.

Very thought provoking. Perhaps genes do make good excuses sometimes.

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