The Norwegian Institute of Public Health Twin Study of Mental Health: Examining Recruitment and Attrition Bias
Open accessAbstract
All Norwegian twin pairs born 1967–1974 and still living in Norway in 1992 were invited to a health questionnaire study (Q1). 2,570 pairs (65%) participated. These cohorts and the twin cohorts born 1967–1979 were invited to a new questionnaire study (Q2) in 1998. This time 3,334 pairs (53%) participated. Almost all pairs having participated in the 1998 study were invited to an interview study of mental health (MHS), taking place 1999–2004. 1,391 complete pairs (44%) participated. The questionnaire studies included extensive data on somatic health with fewer items on mental health and demography. Health-related and demographic information available from the Medical Birth Registry on all invited twins was applied to predict participation to the first study. A few registry variables indicating poor health predicted nonparticipation in Q1. Health information and demography from Q1 were tested as predictors of participation in the follow-up study (Q2). Monozygosity, female sex, being unmarried, having no children, and high education predicted participation, whereas few indicators of poor mental and somatic health and unhealthy lifestyle moderately predicted nonparticipation in Q2. No health indicators reported in Q2 predicted further participation. Standard genetic twin analyses of indicators of various mental disorders from Q2, validated by diagnostic data from the MHS, did not indicate differences in genetic/environmental covariance structures between participants and nonparticipants in MHS. In general the results show a moderate selection towards good mental and somatic health. Attrition from Q2 to the MHS does not appear to affect twin analyses of mental health related variables.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Attrition is a common issue in longitudinal studies.
“However, this is a common issue in longitudinal studies [105, 106].”
From The prospective association of adolescent loneliness and low resilience with anxiety and depression in young adulthood: The HUNT study (2025) · cites this paper as [106]
Detailed analyses of non-response predictors in this twin panel showed that further participation was strongly predicted by sex, zygosity, age and education, but not by psychiatric symptoms.
“detailed analyses of the predictors of non-response in this twin panel revealed that further participation was strongly predicted by sex, zygosity, age and education, but not by psychiatric symptoms [34].”
From Personality disorders are important risk factors for disability pensioning (2014) · cites this paper as [34]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Multiple Imputation for Nonresponse in Surveys
Rubin, D. B. (1987) · Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics · doi:10.1002/9780470316696 · Cited by 20,701 · see citing works
Longitudinal data analysis using generalized linear models
LIANG, K.-Y., & ZEGER, S. L. (1986) · Biometrika · doi:10.1093/biomet/73.1.13 · Cited by 18,550 · see citing works
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
(2018) · Journal of Clinical Psychiatry · doi:10.5505/kpd · Cited by 13,703 · see citing works
RUBIN, D. B. (1976) · Biometrika · doi:10.1093/biomet/63.3.581 · Cited by 9,925 · see citing works
In utero programming of chronic disease
BARKER, D. J. P. (1998) · Clinical Science · doi:10.1042/cs0950115 · Cited by 1,765 · see citing works
Longitudinal Data Analysis Using Generalized Linear Models
Liang, K., & Zeger, S. L. (1986) · Biometrika · doi:10.2307/2336267 · Cited by 1,201 · see citing works
Rubin, D. B. (1976) · Biometrika · doi:10.2307/2335739 · Cited by 946 · see citing works
The Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Epidemiological research and surveillance throughout 30 years
Irgens, L. M. (2000) · Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica · doi:10.1034/j.1600-0412.2000.079006435.x · Cited by 836 · see citing works
What Do Global Self-Rated Health Items Measure?
KRAUSE, N. M., & Jay, G. (1994) · Medical Care · doi:10.1097/00005650-199409000-00004 · Cited by 720 · see citing works
Structured interview for DSM-IV personality: SIDP-IV
Mowry, B. J. (1998) · Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry · Cited by 592 · see citing works
(1980) · PubMed · Cited by 473 · see citing works
How well can a few questionnaire items indicate anxiety and depression?
Tambs, K., & Moum, T. (1993) · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica · doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.1993.tb03388.x · Cited by 445 · see citing works
Self-citationBirth weight and the risk of depressive disorder in late life
Thompson, C., Syddall, H. E., Rodin, I., Osmond, C., & Barker, D. J. (2001) · The British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.179.5.450 · Cited by 341 · see citing works
(2006) · Cited by 336 · see citing works
The power of the classical twin study to resolve variation in threshold traits
Neale, M., Eaves, L., & Kendler, K. (1994) · Behavior Genetics · doi:10.1007/bf01067191 · Cited by 328 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Minnesota Twin Family Registry: Some Initial Findings
Lykken, D. T., Bouchard, T. J., McGue, M. K., & Tellegen, A. (1990) · Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae · doi:10.1017/s0001566000005572 · Cited by 309 · see citing works
Torgersen, S. O., Czajkowski, N. O., Jacobson, K. C., Reichborn‐Kjennerud, T., Røysamb, E., Neale, M. C., & Kendler, K. S. (2008) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291708002924 · Cited by 227 · see citing works
Self-citationVolunteer bias in twin research: The rule of two‐thirds
Lykken, D. T., Tellegen, A., & DeRubeis, R. J. (1978) · Social Biology · doi:10.1080/19485565.1978.9988312 · Cited by 219 · see citing works
Recruitment bias in twin research: The rule of two-thirds reconsidered
Lykken, D. T., McGue, M. K., & Tellegen, A. (1987) · Behavior Genetics · doi:10.1007/bf01068136 · Cited by 185 · see citing works
Harris, J. R., Magnus, P. M., & Tambs, K. (2002) · Twin Research · doi:10.1375/136905202320906192 · Cited by 120 · see citing works
Self-citationHeath, A. C., Howells, W. A. B., Kirk, K. M., Madden, P. A. F., Bucholz, K. K., Nelson, E. C., Slutske, W. S., Statham, D. J., & Martin, N. G. (2001) · Twin Research · doi:10.1375/twin.4.2.73 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Hypertension labelling, life events and psychological well-being
Moum, T., Næss, S. C. K., Sørensen, T., Tambs, K., & Holmen, J. (1990) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291700017153 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
Self-citationSex‐specific effects for body mass index in the new Norwegian twin panel
Harris, J. R., Tambs, K., & Magnus, P. M. (1995) · Genetic Epidemiology · doi:10.1002/gepi.1370120303 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Self-citationKendler, K. S., Myers, J., Torgersen, S. O., Neale, M. C., & Reichborn‐Kjennerud, T. (2007) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291706009755 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Self-citationHeath, A. C., Howells, W., Kirk, K. M., Madden, P. A. F., Bucholz, K. K., Nelson, E. C., Slutske, W. S., Statham, D. J., & Martin, N. G. (2001) · Twin Research · doi:10.1375/1369052012182 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Bias in the estimation of heritability from truncated samples of twins
Martin, N. G., & Wilson, S. R. (1982) · Behavior Genetics · doi:10.1007/bf01065638 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Torgersen, S. (1980) · Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae · doi:10.1017/s0001566000007935 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Self-citationReichborn‐Kjennerud, T., Czajkowski, N. O., Neale, M. C., Ørstavik, R., Torgersen, S. O., Tambs, K., Røysamb, E., Harris, J. R., & Kendler, K. S. (2006) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291706009548 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Self-citationSelection Bias in Samples of Older Twins?
Simmons, S. F., Johansson, B. E. A., Zarit, S. H., Ljungquist, B., Plomin, R. J., & McClearn, G. E. (1997) · Journal of Aging and Health · doi:10.1177/089826439700900407 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Bias in correlations from selected samples of relatives: The effects of soft selection
Neale, M. C., Eaves, L. J., Kendler, K. S., et al. (1989) · Behavior Genetics · doi:10.1007/bf01065901 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Self-citationEstimating and controlling for the effects of volunteer bias with pairs of relatives
Neale, M. C., & Eaves, L. J. (1993) · Behavior Genetics · doi:10.1007/bf01082466 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Heath, A. C., Madden, P. A. F., & Martin, N. G. (1998) · Behavior Genetics · doi:10.1023/a:1021633127604 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health Twin Program of Research: An Update
Harris, J. R., Magnus, P. M., & Tambs, K. (2006) · Twin Research and Human Genetics · doi:10.1375/twin.9.6.858 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Self-citationSelf-rated health as a predictor of mortality among persons with cardiovascular disease in Sweden
Bardage, C., Isacson, D. G. L., & Pedersen, N. L. (2001) · Scandinavian Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1177/14034948010290010601 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Ørstavik, R., Kendler, K. S., Czajkowski, N. O., Tambs, K., & Reichborn‐Kjennerud, T. (2007) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.07010045 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Self-citationKendler, K. S., & Holm, N. V. (1985) · Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae · doi:10.1017/s0001566000004657 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Self-citationTambs, K., Harris, J. R., & Magnus, P. M. (1995) · Behavior Genetics · doi:10.1007/bf02197240 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Self-citationMeyer, J. M., Silberg, J. L., Simonoff, E. A., Kendler, K. S., & Hewitt, J. K. (1996) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291700035844 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Estimation of Probandwise Concordance in Twins: The Effect of Unequal Ascertainment
Kendler, K. S., & Eaves, L. J. (1989) · Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae · doi:10.1017/s000156600000266x · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Self-citationHarris, J. R., Magnus, P. M., & Tambs, K. (2002) · Twin Research · doi:10.1375/twin.5.5.415 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Self-citationTaylor, A. (2004) · Twin Research · doi:10.1375/1369052042335241 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Passive-aggressive (negativistic) personality disorder: A population-based twin study
Czajkowski, N., Kendler, K. S., Jacobson, K. C., Tambs, K., Røysamb, E., & Reichborn-Kjennerud, T. (2008) · Journal of Personality Disorders · doi:10.1521/pedi.2008.22.1.109 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Self-citationBirthweight and Adult Health in a Population-Based Sample of Norwegian Twins
Grjibovski, A. M., Harris, J. R., & Magnus, P. M. (2005) · Twin Research and Human Genetics · doi:10.1375/1832427053738818 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Self-citationBirthweight and psychological distress in adult twins: a longitudinal study
Cheung, Y., Ma, S., Machin, D., et al. (2004) · Acta Paediatrica · doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2004.tb02697.x · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Birthweight and Adult Health in a Population-Based Sample of Norwegian Twins
Grjibovski, A. M., Harris, J. R., & Magnus, P. (2005) · Twin Research and Human Genetics · doi:10.1375/twin.8.2.148 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Self-citationBias in Variance Components Due to Nonresponse in Twin Studies
Dominicus, A., Palmgren, J., & Pedersen, N. L. (2006) · Twin Research and Human Genetics · doi:10.1375/183242706776382419 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
No recruitment bias for questionnaire data related to IQ in classical twin studies
Tambs, K., Sundet, J. M., Magnus, P. M., et al. (1989) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/0191-8869(89)90215-8 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Self-citationBias in Variance Components Due to Nonresponse in Twin Studies
Dominicus, A., Palmgren, J., & Pedersen, N. L. (2006) · Twin Research and Human Genetics · doi:10.1375/twin.9.2.185 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
m.fl, J. R. H. (2009) · Norsk Epidemiologi · doi:10.5324/nje.v7i1.353 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Birthweight and psychological distress in adult twins: a longitudinal study
Cheung, Y. B., Ma, S., Machin, D., et al. (2004) · Acta Paediatrica · doi:10.1080/08035250410026824 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Gustavson, K., von Soest, T., Karevold, E., & Røysamb, E. (2012) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/1471-2458-12-918 · Cited by 679 · see citing works
Prevalence and stability of mental disorders among young adults: findings from a longitudinal study
Gustavson, K., Knudsen, A. K., Nesvåg, R., Knudsen, G. P., Vollset, S. E., & Reichborn-Kjennerud, T. (2018) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-018-1647-5 · Cited by 282 · see citing works
Self-citationPaternal Mental Health and Socioemotional and Behavioral Development in Their Children
Kvalevaag, A. L., Ramchandani, P. G., Hove, O., Assmus, J., Eberhard-Gran, M., & Biringer, E. (2013) · Pediatrics · doi:10.1542/peds.2012-0804 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
A 2-year longitudinal study of prospective predictors of pathological Internet use in adolescents
Strittmatter, E., Parzer, P., Brunner, R., Fischer, G., Durkee, T., Carli, V., Hoven, C. W., Wasserman, C., Sarchiapone, M., Wasserman, D., et al. (2016) · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s00787-015-0779-0 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Personality disorders are important risk factors for disability pensioning
Østby, K. A., Czajkowski, N., Knudsen, G. P., Ystrom, E., Gjerde, L. C., Kendler, K. S., Ørstavik, R. E., & Reichborn-Kjennerud, T. (2014) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-014-0878-0 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
“However, detailed analyses of the predictors of non-response in this twin panel revealed that further participation was strongly predicted by sex, zygosity, age and education, but not by psychiatric symptoms [34].”
Self-citationReichborn-Kjennerud, T., Czajkowski, N., Røysamb, E., Ørstavik, R. E., Neale, M. C., Torgersen, S., & Kendler, K. S. (2010) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291709991954 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Self-citationChildhood trauma and personality disorder criterion counts: A co-twin control analysis.
Berenz, E. C., Amstadter, A. B., Aggen, S. H., Knudsen, G. P., Reichborn-Kjennerud, T., Gardner, C. O., & Kendler, K. S. (2013) · Journal of Abnormal Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0034238 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Self-citationWell-being and ill-being: shared environments, shared genes?
Nes, R. B., Czajkowski, N., R⊘ysamb, E., Reichborn-Kjennerud, T., & Tambs, K. (2008) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760802399323 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Self-citationGjerde, L. C., Czajkowski, N., Røysamb, E., Ystrom, E., Tambs, K., Aggen, S. H., Ørstavik, R. E., Kendler, K. S., Reichborn-Kjennerud, T., & Knudsen, G. P. (2015) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291715001440 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Self-citationPassive-aggressive (negativistic) personality disorder: A population-based twin study
Czajkowski, N., Kendler, K. S., Jacobson, K. C., Tambs, K., Røysamb, E., & Reichborn-Kjennerud, T. (2008) · Journal of Personality Disorders · doi:10.1521/pedi.2008.22.1.109 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Self-citationParlikar, N., Strand, L. B., Kvaløy, K., Espnes, G. A., & Moksnes, U. K. (2025) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-025-02888-2 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“However, this is a common issue in longitudinal studies [105, 106 ].”
- Authors
- Tambs, K., Rønning, T., Prescott, C. A., Kendler, K. S., Reichborn-Kjennerud, T., Torgersen, S., & Harris, J. R.
- Affiliations
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NO)
- University of Southern California (US)
- Virginia Commonwealth University (US)
- University of Oslo (NO)
- Corresponding author
- Tambs, Kristian
- Venue
- Twin Research and Human Genetics
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2009-04-01
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 158-168
- ISSN
- 1832-4274 (ISSN-L)
- 1839-2628
- PMC
- PMC2743739
- OpenAlex
- W2068331313
- Cited by
- 118
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 26.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Twin Research and Human Genetics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- EkstraStiftelsen Helse og Rehabilitering (Stiftelsen Dam)
- European Commission (QLG2-CT-2002-01254, 01254)
- Norges Forskningsråd (MH-068643)
- National Institutes of Health (QLG2-CT-2002-01254)
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH-068643, R01MH068643)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Survey Methodology and Nonresponse
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Ethics in Clinical Research
- Keywords
- twin studies, mental health, recruitment bias, attrition bias, selection bias, physical health, lifestyle factors, genetic covariance, environmental covariance, mental illness
- MeSH terms
- Female, Health Status, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Patient Participation, Surveys and Questionnaires, Twins, Health Behavior, Bias, Twin Studies as Topic, Patient Selection
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
