Genetic endowments, parental resources and adult health: Evidence from the Young Finns Study

Health endowment and later-life outcomes in the labour market: Evidence using genetic risk scores and reduced-form models

This paper examines the relationship between health endowment and later-life outcomes in the labour market. The analysis is based on reduced-form models in which labour market outcomes are regressed on genetic variants related to the increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. We use linked Finnish data that have many strengths. Genetic risk scores constitute exogenous measures for health endowment, and accurate administrative tax records on earnings, employment and social income transfers provide a comprehensive account of an individual's long-term performance in the labour market. The results show that although the direction of an effect is generally consistent with theoretical reasoning, the effects of health endowment on outcomes are statistically weak, and the hypothesis of no effect can be rejected only in one case: genetic endowment related to obesity influences male earnings and employment in prime age. Due to the sample size (N = 1651), the results should be interpreted with caution and should be confirmed in larger samples and in other institutional settings.

Education as a moderator of genetic risk for higher body mass index: prospective cohort study from childhood to adulthood

OBJECTIVES

The life-course development of body mass index (BMI) may be driven by interactions between genes and obesity-inducing social environments. We examined whether lower parental or own education accentuates the genetic risk for higher BMI over the life course, and whether diet and physical activity account for the educational differences in genetic associations with BMI.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

The study comprised 2441 participants (1319 women, 3-18 years at baseline) from the prospective, population-based Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. BMI (kg/m²) trajectories were calculated from 18 to 49 years, using data from six time points spanning 31 years. A polygenic risk score for BMI was calculated as a weighted sum of risk alleles in 97 single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Education was assessed via self-reports, measured prospectively from participants in adulthood and from parents when participants were children. Diet and physical activity were self-reported in adulthood.

RESULTS

Mean BMI increased from 22.6 to 26.6 kg/m² during the follow-up. In growth curve analyses, the genetic risk score was associated with faster BMI increase over time (b=0.02, (95% CI, 0.01-0.02, P<0.001)). The association between the genetic risk score and BMI was more pronounced among those with lower educational level in adulthood (b=-0.12 (95% CI, -0.23-0.01); P=0.036)). No interaction effect was observed between the genetic risk score and parental education (b=0.05 (95% CI, -0.09-0.18; P=0.51)). Diet and physical activity explained little of the interaction effect between the genetic risk score and adulthood education.

CONCLUSIONS

In this prospective study, the association of a risk score of 97 genetic variants with BMI was stronger among those with low compared with high education. This suggests lower education in adulthood accentuates the risk of higher BMI in people at genetic risk.