Genetic Epidemiology, Translational Neurogenomics, Psychiatric Genetics and Statistical Genetics Laboratories investigate the pattern of disease in families, particularly identical and non-identical twins, to assess the relative importance of genes and environment in a variety of important health problems.
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PMID
10392801
TITLE
Genetics of early cancer detection behaviours in Australian female twins.
ABSTRACT
Early detection of cervical and breast cancers is an important component of women's health strategy. Screening programmes, health professional interventions and preventive behaviours such as breast self-examination provide the means to this end. Our twin study sought to identify the relative influence of environmental and genetic factors on liability to early cancer detection behaviours, including use of cervical smear tests, mammograms, and breast examination. Additive genetic and random environmental effects models gave the best, most parsimonious fit to the data for each early cancer detection behaviour. The heritability of liability to Pap smear use was 66%, mammogram use 50%, breast examination by a doctor or nurse 38% and breast self-examination 37%. Genetic influences were behaviour-specific; there was no evidence for a common genetic influence on the four behaviours. Potential covariates investigated included age, amount of contact between co-twins, educational level and personality traits such as harm avoidance, novelty seeking, reward dependence, neuroticism, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, perceived control, interpersonal dependency and ways of coping. None were significant. The study was carried out before the implementation of national screening programmes with media campaigns to increase participation rates. Hence follow-up investigation, including data on regularity of behaviours, would be informative.
DATE PUBLISHED
1999 Mar
HISTORY
PUBSTATUS PUBSTATUSDATE
pubmed 1999/07/07
medline 1999/07/07 00:01
entrez 1999/07/07 00:00
AUTHORS
NAME COLLECTIVENAME LASTNAME FORENAME INITIALS AFFILIATION AFFILIATIONINFO
Treloar SA Treloar S A SA Cooperative Research Centre for Discovery of Genes for Common Human Diseases, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia. sueT@qimr.edu.au
McDonald CA McDonald C A CA
Martin NG Martin N G NG
INVESTIGATORS
JOURNAL
VOLUME: 2
ISSUE: 1
TITLE: Twin research : the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies
ISOABBREVIATION: Twin Res
YEAR: 1999
MONTH: Mar
DAY:
MEDLINEDATE:
SEASON:
CITEDMEDIUM: Print
ISSN: 1369-0523
ISSNTYPE: Print
MEDLINE JOURNAL
MEDLINETA: Twin Res
COUNTRY: Australia
ISSNLINKING: 1369-0523
NLMUNIQUEID: 9815819
PUBLICATION TYPE
PUBLICATIONTYPE TEXT
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
Twin Study
COMMENTS AND CORRECTIONS
GRANTS
GRANTID AGENCY COUNTRY
AA07535 NIAAA NIH HHS United States
AA07728 NIAAA NIH HHS United States
AA10249 NIAAA NIH HHS United States
GENERAL NOTE
KEYWORDS
MESH HEADINGS
DESCRIPTORNAME QUALIFIERNAME
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Anxiety genetics
Attitude to Health genetics
Breast Neoplasms prevention & control
Breast Self-Examination prevention & control
Dependency (Psychology) prevention & control
Depression genetics
Educational Status genetics
Environment genetics
Female genetics
Follow-Up Studies genetics
Health Behavior genetics
Humans genetics
Internal-External Control genetics
Mammography genetics
Mass Screening genetics
Middle Aged genetics
Neurotic Disorders genetics
Papanicolaou Test genetics
Personality genetics
Self Concept genetics
Sibling Relations genetics
Twins, Dizygotic psychology
Twins, Monozygotic psychology
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms prevention & control
Vaginal Smears prevention & control
SUPPLEMENTARY MESH
GENE SYMBOLS
CHEMICALS
OTHER ID's