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Genetic correlates of social stratification in Great Britain
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Abstract
Human DNA polymorphisms vary across geographic regions, with the most commonly observed variation reflecting distant ancestry differences. Here we investigate the geographic clustering of common genetic variants that influence complex traits in a sample of ~450,000 individuals from Great Britain. Of 33 traits analysed, 21 showed significant geographic clustering at the genetic level after controlling for ancestry, probably reflecting migration driven by socioeconomic status (SES). Alleles associated with educational attainment (EA) showed the most clustering, with EA-decreasing alleles clustering in lower SES areas such as coal mining areas. Individuals who leave coal mining areas carry more EA-increasing alleles on average than those in the rest of Great Britain. The level of geographic clustering is correlated with genetic associations between complex traits and regional measures of SES, health and cultural outcomes. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that social stratification leaves visible marks in geographic arrangements of common allele frequencies and gene-environment correlations.
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“This remainder is due to assortment on phenotypes correlated with the EA PGI other than EA, cognitive performance, and vocabulary—possibly including various personality traits42-44—and sources of social homogamy other than genetic ancestry captured by the top 40 PCs—possibly including geographic location at courtship age45,46, socioeconomic status, and social class47.”
From Polygenic prediction of educational attainment within and between families from genome-wide association analyses in 3 million individuals (2022) · cites this paper as [46]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Abdellaoui, A., Hugh-Jones, D., Yengo, L., Kemper, K. E., Nivard, M. G., Veul, L., Holtz, Y., Zietsch, B. P., Frayling, T. M., Wray, N. R., Yang, J., Verweij, K. J. H., & Visscher, P. M.
- Affiliations
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers (NL)
- University of East Anglia (GB)
- The University of Queensland (AU)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- University of Exeter (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Abdellaoui, Abdel
- Visscher, Peter M.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Nature Human Behaviour
- Published
- 2019-10-21
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 1332-1342
- ISSN
- 2397-3374 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2980548847
- Cited by
- 261
- References
- 100
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 42 · 2021: 41 · 2020: 49 · 2019: 14
- FWCI
- 22.15
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Nature Human Behaviour (publishedVersion)
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Pure Amsterdam UMC (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- VU Research Portal (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Royal Devon and Exeter Research Repository (Royal Devon and Exeter) (submittedVersion)
- UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Ellison Medical Foundation
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation
- Kaiser Permanente
- Wellcome Trust
- Scottish Government
- Llywodraeth Cymru
- Stichting Volksbond Rotterdam
- British Heart Foundation
- Diabetes UK
- ZonMw (849200011, 531003014)
- Northwest Regional Development Agency
- National Institutes of Health
- Medical Research Council (1107258, 1113400, 1078037, 1078901)
- Australian Research Council (FT160100298, 1113400)
- National Health and Medical Research Council (1113400, 1078901, 1056929, 1107258, 1078037, 1048853)
- National Institute on Aging (RC2AG036607)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Forensic and Genetic Research
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies
- Keywords
- social stratification, educational attainment, socioeconomic status, gene-environment correlation, migration, coal mining areas, polygenic risk score, complex traits, regional health disparities, Great Britain
- MeSH terms
- Adipose Tissue, Alleles, Body Height, Educational Status, Emigration and Immigration, United Kingdom, Health Status, Humans, Phenotype, Social Class, Body Mass Index, Cluster Analysis, Multifactorial Inheritance, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, White People, Geographic Mapping
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