Interactions Between Alcohol Metabolism Genes and Religious Involvement in Association With Maximum Drinks and Alcohol Dependence Symptoms

Intersection of familial risk and environmental social control on high-risk drinking and alcohol dependence in a US national sample of adults

BACKGROUND

Effects of a family history of alcoholism may be moderated by area-level social control factors. We examine whether increased neighborhood alcohol availability (low social control environment) or increased presence of religious adherents in the county (high social control environment) interact with family history in relation to alcohol outcomes.

METHODS

Weighted data from 12,686 adult drinkers (51% male; mean age 44; 80% White, 9% Black, 11% Hispanic) in three US National Alcohol Surveys were linked with data on area-level off-premise alcohol availability and adherence to religions with strong prohibitions against drinking. Family history density had four levels (family history negative, extended family only, first-degree relative(s) only, high family density). Dichotomous outcomes were past-year high-risk drinking and alcohol dependence. Logistic regression models with interaction terms assessed whether associations of family history with alcohol outcomes differed significantly by area-level social control. Stratified models assessed differences by sex and by race/ethnicity.

RESULTS

In the full sample, effects of first-degree relatives and high family density on high-risk drinking strengthened as alcohol availability increased. This was replicated in the subsample of women and suggested in relation to dependence among men and Black drinkers. For White drinkers, higher religious social control reduced effects of first-degree relatives on high-risk drinking.

CONCLUSIONS

Low social control-in particular, greater density of off-premise alcohol outlets-appears to exacerbate effects of a family history of alcoholism on high-risk drinking. Policy makers should consider differential benefits of decreasing alcohol availability for people from high-risk families to reduce high-risk drinking and alcohol problems.

Recruiting for diversity: a pilot test of recruitment strategies for a national alcohol survey with mail-in genetic data collection

We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of collecting a saliva sample for DNA through the mail from a national sample of drinkers and examined whether targeted messaging would increase the response rates of Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino participants. We invited respondents from two prior national population surveys to participate in a brief telephone survey regarding recent alcohol use and to mail in a self-administered saliva sample. Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and Whites had similar rates of consenting to participate. A higher proportion of respondents with a college education and a family history of alcohol problems consented. The differences in participation between respondents receiving targeted and general messaging were not statistically significant. This study provides preliminary evidence for the feasibility of recruiting diverse participants into a genetic study of alcohol use disorder.

The ego dampening influence of religion: evidence from behavioral genetics and psychology

Religion is a product of evolutionary and biological processes. Thus, understanding why some people are religious and how it impacts their everyday lives requires an integrated perspective. This review presents a theoretical framework incorporating recent findings on religious influences on the behavioral expression of genetic and psychological predispositions. We propose that religion may facilitate ego dampening, or weakening of the impact of one's internal drive, for the service of sociality. Evidence from gene-environment interaction and behavioral studies suggests that religious beliefs and practices may dampen more prepotent, self-focused motives that can be at odds with cooperation and social cohesion. The review underscores the importance of taking an interdisciplinary perspective to understand complex and fundamental questions about religion.

Quantile-Specific Heritability of Intakes of Alcohol but not Other Macronutrients

Genetic heritability (h²) of alcohol use is reported to be greater in rural dwellers, distressed marriages, low socioeconomic status, in girls who are unmarried or lacking closeness with their parents or religious upbringing, in less-educated men, and in adolescents with peers using alcohol. However, these are all risk factors for heavy drinking, and the greater heritability could be due to quantile-dependent expressivity, i.e., h² dependent upon whether the phenotype (alcohol intake) is high or low relative to its distribution. Quantile regression showed that h² estimated from the offspring-parent regression slope increased significantly from lowest to highest gram/day of alcohol consumption (0.006 ± 0.001 per percent, P = 1.1 × 10^-7). Heritability at the 90th percentile of the sample distribution (0.557 ± 0.116) was 4.5-fold greater than at the 10th percentile (0.122 ± 0.037). Heritabilities for intakes of other macronutrients were not quantile-dependent. Thus quantile-dependent expressivity may explain the higher estimated heritability associated with risk factors for high alcohol consumption.

Religiosity and Telomere Length: Moderating Effect of Religiosity on the Relationship Between High-Risk Polymorphisms of the Apolipoprotein E and TOMM40 Gene and Telomere Length

Objective: The current study seeks to examine the relationship between religiosity and telomere length (TL) in an older Chinese Muslim sample and to explore the moderating effect of religiosity on the relationship between high-risk polymorphisms and TL. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 1,692 community-dwelling adults aged 55 or older was conducted. Apolipoprotein E and TOMM40 (rs2075650) gene polymorphisms and TL were determined using standard procedures. Ordinal logistic regression was used to examine the associations. Results: Religiosity was significantly and positively related to TL. A significant interaction emerged between religiosity and the rs2075650 G polymorphism in predicting TL. Stratified multivariate analyses demonstrated that the relationship between the rs2075650 G state and TL was particularly strong among those who were more religious, as hypothesized. Conclusion: The findings revealed that religiosity may influence cellular aging in part by modifying the effect that high-risk genes have on increasing vulnerability to dementia and cognitive impairment.

ALDH2*2 and peer drinking in East Asian college students

BACKGROUND

The ALDH2*2 allele (A-allele) at rs671 is more commonly carried by Asians and is associated with alcohol-related flushing, a strong adverse reaction to alcohol that is protective against drinking. Social factors, such as having friends who binge drink, also contribute to drinking in Asian youth.

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the interplay between ALDH2*2, peer drinking, and alcohol consumption in college students. We hypothesized that the relationship between ALDH2*2 and standard grams of ethanol per month would vary based on the level of peer drinking.

METHODS

Subjects (N = 318, 63.25% female) were East Asian college students in the United States who reported drinking alcohol. Data were from the freshman year of a university survey that included a saliva DNA sample. ALDH2*2 status was coded ALDH2*2(+) (A/G and A/A genotypes) and ALDH2*2(-) (G/G genotype). Peer drinking was students' perception of how many of their friends "got drunk".

RESULTS

Main effects of ALDH2*2(-) and having more friends who got drunk were associated with greater alcohol consumption. The ALDH2*2 × peer drunkenness interaction showed a stronger positive association with alcohol consumption for ALDH2*2(-) versus ALDH2*2(+) at increasing levels of peer drunkenness. Follow-up comparisons within each peer drunkenness level identified significantly higher alcohol consumption for ALDH2*2(-) compared to ALDH2*2(+) at the all friends got drunk level.

CONCLUSION

There was evidence of a stronger effect for ALDH2*2(-) compared to ALDH2*2(+) with greater alcohol use when students were more exposed to peer drinking. Findings contribute to a growing literature on the interrelationships between genetic influences and more permissive environments for alcohol consumption.

Review: Environmental influences on alcohol use: Informing research on the joint effects of genes and the environment in diverse U.S. populations

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

This review aimed to inform the current state of alcohol research on the joint effects of genes and the environment conducted in U.S. racial/ethnic minority populations, focusing on African Americans, Latinos/Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians.

METHODS

A key-word and author-based search was conducted and supplemented with direct contact to researchers in this area to ensure a comprehensive inclusion of published, peer-reviewed studies. These studies were considered in terms of the racial/ethnic population groups, phenotypes, genetic variants, and environmental influences covered. Research findings from alcohol epidemiologic studies were highlighted to introduce some potential environmental variables for future studies of gene and environment (G-E) relationships.

RESULTS

Twenty-six (N = 26) studies were reviewed. They predominantly involved African American and Asian samples and had a very limited focus on Latinos/Hispanics and American Indians. There was a wide range of alcohol-related phenotypes examined, and studies almost exclusively used a candidate gene approach. Environmental influences focused on the most proximate social network relationships with family and peers. There was far less examination of community- and societal-level environmental influences on drinking. Epidemiologic studies informing the selection of potential environmental factors at these higher order levels suggest inclusion of indicators of drinking norms, alcohol availability, socioeconomic disadvantage, and unfair treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The review of current literature identified a critical gap in the study of environments: There is the need to study exposures at community and societal levels.

SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE

These initial studies provide an important foundation for evolving the dialogue and generating other investigations of G-E relationships in diverse racial/ethnic groups. (Am J Addict 2017;26:446-460).