-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Women are found to be more religious than men and more likely to use religious coping. Only few studies have explored religious gender differences in more secular societies. This population-based study comprised 3,000 Danish men and women (response rate 45 %) between 20 and 40 years of age. Information about demographics, religiousness and religious coping was obtained through a web-based questionnaire. We organized religiousness in the three dimensions: Cognition, Practice and Importance, and we assessed religious coping using the brief RCOPE questionnaire. We found substantial gender differences in both religiousness and religious coping. Nearly, 60 % of the women believed in some sort of spirit or in God compared to 40 % of the men. Generally, both men and women scored low on the RCOPE scale. However, for respondents reporting high levels of religiousness, the proportion of men who scored high in the RCOPE exceeded the proportion of women in using positive and especially negative coping strategies. Also, in a secular society, women are found to be more religious than men, but in a subset of the most religious respondents, men were more inclined to use religious coping. Further studies on religious coping in secular societies are required.
Journal of Religion and Health 04/2013; · 1.02 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Aim: The present study aims to estimate the relative importance of genetic and environmental factors for health-related quality of life (HRQL) measured by the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12). Methods: The study was based on two Danish twin cohorts (46,417 twin individuals) originating from the nationwide, population-based Danish Twin Registry. The twins were approached by a mailed-out questionnaire in 2002. The questionnaire included the SF-12, information on demographic factors, and questions on a variety of specific diseases. Heritability of the SF-12 includes the physical component summary (PCS) and the mental component summary (MCS); and etiologically important variance components were estimated using multivariate biometric models. The respondents were stratified into six groups, based on age and sex. Results: A total of 33,794 (73%) individual twins responded to the survey. The SF-12 was completed by 29,619 individuals, which included 9,120 complete twin pairs. Overall, the best-fitting model explaining the variance of HRQL was the ACE model. The estimated heritability of the SF-12 was between 11% and 35%, whereas between 65% and 89% could be explained by unique environmental or stochastic factors in the different sex and age groups. The highest heritability was seen among older twins. In addition, the genetic correlation between MCS and PCS scores was low (0.07 and 0.23 for males and females, respectively) among younger and high (0.26 and 0.45 for males and females, respectively) in the oldest age group. Both the largest genetic influence on HRQL and the largest genetic overlap between the scores were seen in the oldest age group, which consisted of twins older than 55. The unique environmental correlation between MCS and PCS were generally negative. Conclusion: The heritability of HRQL differs between different age groups. In general, most of the variance in the SF-12 summary components was determined by unique environmental factors.
Twin Research and Human Genetics 04/2013; · 1.70 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: It is well known that human behavior and individual psychological traits are moderately to substantially heritable. Over the past decade, an increasing number of studies have explored the genetic and environmental influence on religiousness. These studies originate predominantly from countries generally considered more religious than the very secular northern European countries. Comparisons of the results are complicated by diverse definitions of religiousness, but several studies indicate that the influence of the family environment is most predominant in early life, whereas genetic influences increase with age. We performed a population-based twin study of religiousness in a secular society using data from a Web-based survey sent to 6,707 Danish twins born 1970-1989, who were identified in the Danish Twin Registry. We applied Fishman's three conceptual dimensions of religiousness: cognition, practice, and importance. In all polygenic models and biometric analyses, we controlled for gender and age. The study sample comprised 2,237 same sex twins, a response rate of 45%. We found high correlations within both monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs in most items of religiousness, indicating a large influence from shared environmental factors. Personal religiousness such as praying to God, believing in God, and finding strength and comfort in religion were more influenced by genetic factors than were social forms of religiousness such as church attendance. We found a small tendency for increasing genetic influence with increasing age for some religious items, but not for all.
Twin Research and Human Genetics 02/2013; · 1.70 Impact Factor
-
Axel Skytthe,
Lene Christiansen,
Kirsten Ohm Kyvik,
Frans L Bødker,
Lars Hvidberg,
Inge Petersen,
Morten M F Nielsen,
Paul Bingley, Jacob Hjelmborg,
Qihua Tan,
Niels V Holm,
James W Vaupel,
Matt McGue,
Kaare Christensen
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Over the last 60 years, the resources and the research in the Danish Twin Registry (DTR) have periodically been summarized. Here, we give a short overview of the DTR and a more comprehensive description of new developments in the twenty-first century. First, we outline our experience over the last decade of combining questionnaire and survey data with national demographic, social, and health registers in Statistics Denmark. Second, we describe our most recent data collection effort, which was conducted during the period 2008-2011 and included both in-person assessments of 14,000+ twins born 1931-1969 and sampling of biological material, hereby expanding and consolidating the DTR biobank. Third, two examples of intensively studied twin cohorts are given. The new developments in the DTR in the last decade have facilitated the ongoing research and laid the groundwork for new research directions.
Twin Research and Human Genetics 10/2012; · 1.70 Impact Factor
-
Mette Soerensen,
Mikael Thinggaard,
Marianne Nygaard,
Serena Dato,
Qihua Tan, Jacob Hjelmborg,
Karen Andersen-Ranberg,
Tinna Stevnsner,
Vilhelm A Bohr,
Masayuki Kimura,
Abraham Aviv,
Kaare Christensen,
Lene Christiansen
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Telomerase is of key importance for telomere maintenance, and variants of the genes encoding its major subunits, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and telomerase RNA component (TERC), are candidates for interindividual variation in telomere length. Recently, the two SNPs rs3772190 and rs12696304 in the TERC locus were reported to be associated with leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in two genome-wide association studies, while one haplotype of TERT (rs2853669, rs2736098, rs33954691, and rs2853691) has been reported to be associated with both LTL and longevity in a candidate gene study. In this study, we investigated the two TERC and four TERT SNPs in middle-aged, old, and oldest-old Danes (58-100 years) and their association with LTL (n = 864) and longevity (n = 1069). Furthermore, data on 11 TERT tagging SNPs in 1089 oldest-old and 736 middle-aged Danes were investigated with respect to longevity. For all SNPs, the association with longevity was investigated using both a cross-sectional and a longitudinal approach. Applying an additive model, we found association of LTL with the minor TERC alleles of rs3772190 (A) and rs12696304 (G), such that a shorter LTL was seen in rs3772190 A carriers (regression coefficient = -0.08, P = 0.011) and in male rs12696304 G carriers (regression coefficient = -0.13, P = 0.014). No TERT variations showed association. Moreover, the A allele of rs3772190 (TERC) was found to be associated with longevity [hazard rate (AG + AA) = 1.31, P = 0.006]. No associations with longevity were observed for the TERT SNPs or haplotypes. Our study, thus, indicates that TERC is associated with both LTL and longevity in humans.
Aging cell 12/2011; 11(2):223-7. · 7.55 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: We analyzed the association between mean height and old age cognition in two Nordic twin cohorts with different childhood living conditions. The cognitive performance of 4720 twin individuals from Denmark (mean age 81.6 years, SD = 4.59) and Finland (mean age 74.4 years, SD = 5.26) was measured using validated cognitive screens. Taller height was associated with better cognitive performance in Finland (beta-estimates 0.18 SD/10cm, p value < .001, for men and 0.13 SD, p = .008, for women), but this association was not significant in Denmark (beta-estimates 0.0093 SD, p value = .16, for men and 0.0075 SD, p value = .016, for women) when adjusted for age and education/social class. Among Finnish participants higher variability of cognitive performance within shorter height quintiles was observed. Analysis using gene-environment interaction models showed that environmental factors exerted a greater impact on cognitive performance in shorter participants, whereas in taller participants' it was explained mainly by genetic factors. Our results suggest that shorter participants with childhood adversity are more vulnerable to environmental risk factors for cognitive impairment.
Twin Research and Human Genetics 12/2011; 14(6):544-52. · 1.70 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The purpose is to study the age trajectory of hand-grip strength after the age of 45 years.
In this study, we use data from three large nationwide population-based surveys of Danes aged 45 to 102 years with a total of 8342 participants with grip-strength measurements and up to 4 years of follow-up. Grip strength was measured by using a portable hand dynamometer.
Grip strength declines throughout life for both males and females, but among the oldest women, the longitudinal curve reaches a horizontal plateau. The course of the decline is estimated by using full information in the longitudinal data and is found to be almost linear in the age span of 50 to 85 years. In this age span, mean annual grip-strength loss is estimated to be 0.59 (0.02) (SE) kg for men and 0.31 (0.01) kg for women.
This study confirms the previously reported grip-strength decline with increasing age. Estimates were obtained by using full-information methods from large population-representative studies. Equations of expected grip strength, as well as tables with sex-, age-, and height-stratified reference data, provide an opportunity to include grip-strength measurement in clinical care in similar populations.
Annals of Epidemiology 08/2006; 16(7):554-62. · 3.21 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to test a possible genetic component to prolonged gestation.
The gestational duration of single, first pregnancies by both female and male twins was obtained by linking the Danish Twin Registry, The Danish Civil Registration System, and the Danish Medical Birth Register. A total of 2588 same-sex twin pairs of whom both cotwins became parents during 1978 to 1996 were identified.
The concordance rate for female twin pairs for a gestation of > or =41 weeks and > or =42 weeks was higher for monozygotic twin pairs than for dizygotic twin pairs, which indicates genetic effects. Biometric modeling suggested that genetic factors account for 23% to 30% of the liability to prolonged gestation. The difference in concordance rate between monozygotic and dizygotic male twin pairs was small, and the best fitting model indicated no genetic factors.
Maternal genes influence prolonged gestation. However, a substantial paternal genetic influence through the fetus was not found.
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 02/2004; 190(2):489-94. · 3.47 Impact Factor
-
Karoline Schousboe,
Gonneke Willemsen,
Kirsten O Kyvik,
Jakob Mortensen,
Dorret I Boomsma,
Belinda K Cornes,
Chayna J Davis,
Corrado Fagnani, Jacob Hjelmborg,
Jaakko Kaprio,
Marlies De Lange,
Michelle Luciano,
Nicholas G Martin,
Nancy Pedersen,
Kirsi H Pietiläinen,
Aila Rissanen,
Suoma Saarni,
Thorkild I A Sørensen,
G Caroline M Van Baal,
Jennifer R Harris
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Body mass index (BMI), a simple anthropometric measure, is the most frequently used measure of adiposity and has been instrumental in documenting the worldwide increase in the prevalence of obesity witnessed during the last decades. Although this increase in overweight and obesity is thought to be mainly due to environmental changes, i.e., sedentary lifestyles and high caloric diets, consistent evidence from twin studies demonstrates high heritability and the importance of genetic differences for normal variation in BMI. We analysed self-reported data on BMI from approximately 37,000 complete twin pairs (including opposite sex pairs) aged 20-29 and 30-39 from eight different twin registries participating in the GenomEUtwin project. Quantitative genetic analyses were conducted and sex differences were explored. Variation in BMI was greater for women than for men, and in both sexes was primarily explained by additive genetic variance in all countries. Sex differences in the variance components were consistently significant. Results from analyses of opposite sex pairs also showed evidence of sex-specific genetic effects suggesting there may be some differences between men and women in the genetic factors that influence variation in BMI. These results encourage the continued search for genes of importance to the body composition and the development of obesity. Furthermore, they suggest that strategies to identify predisposing genes may benefit from taking into account potential sex specific effects.
Twin Research 11/2003; 6(5):409-21.
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Physical functioning late in life has been shown to be affected by genetic factors. Only a few genetic variants have been suggested to be associated with physical functioning, and this only in selected populations (e.g., young healthy males and elite athletes). Declining physical functioning late in life is a major problem in terms of prevalence, morbidity, functional limitations, and quality of life. It is therefore of interest to find a phenotype reflecting physical functioning which has a relatively high heritability and which can be measured in large samples. Hand grip strength is known to be associated with muscular functioning in other muscle groups and with activities of daily living (ADL) functioning, and it predicts incident disability. We studied 1,757 Danish twin pairs aged 45-96 years, and found that this phenotype has a heritability of 52% (95% confidence interval (CI), 48-55%). A powerful design to detect genes associated with a phenotype is obtained using the extreme discordant and concordant sib pairs, of whom 28 and 77 dizygotic twin pairs, respectively, were found in this study. Hence grip strength is a suitable phenotype for identifying genetic variants of importance to mid- and late-life physical functioning.
Genetic Epidemiology 09/2002; 23(2):110-22. · 3.44 Impact Factor
