Cited by 343Genetic Associations and EpidemiologyAssisted Reproductive Technology and Twin PregnancyAdvanced Causal Inference Techniques

Critical need for family-based, quasi-experimental designs in integrating genetic and social science research

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D’Onofrio, Brian M., Lahey, Benjamin B., Turkheimer, Eric, Lichtenstein, Paul·2013·American Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Researchers have identified environmental risks that predict subsequent psychological and medical problems. Based on these correlational findings, researchers have developed and tested complex developmental models and have examined biological moderating factors (e.g., gene-environment interactions). In this context, we stress the critical need for researchers to use family-based, quasi-experimental designs when trying to integrate genetic and social science research involving environmental variables because these designs rigorously examine causal inferences by testing competing hypotheses. We argue that sibling comparison, offspring of twins or siblings, in vitro fertilization designs, and other genetically informed approaches play a unique role in bridging gaps between basic biological and social science research. We use studies on maternal smoking during pregnancy to exemplify these principles.

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. [8]Masten AS Cicchetti D Developmental Cascades [Special Issue] Development and Psychopathology 2010 Part 1, 22(3), 491–715; Part 2, 22(4), 717–983 20576173
  2. [12]Kendler K Jaffee S Romer D The Dynamic Genome and Mental Health: The Role of Genes and Environmetns in Development 2010 New York Oxford University
  3. [25]Glantz MD Chambers JC Prenatal drug exposure effects on subsequent vulnerability to drug abuse Development and Psychopathology 2006 18 3 893 922 17152406
  4. [55]Turkheimer E Harden KP Reis HT Judd CM Behavior genetic research methods: Testing quasi-causal hypotheses using multivariate twin data Handbook of Research Methods in Personality and Social Psychology Second ed. Cambridge University Press submitted.

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Authors
D’Onofrio, B. M., Lahey, B. B., Turkheimer, E., & Lichtenstein, P.
Affiliations
  • Brian M. D’Onofrio is with Indiana University, Bloomington. Benjamin B. Lahey is with the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Eric Turkheimer is with the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. Paul Lichtenstein is with the Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.
  • Karolinska Institutet (SE)
Venue
American Journal of Public Health
Published
2013-10
Volume
103
Issue
S1
Pages
S46-S55
ISSN
  • 0090-0036 (ISSN-L)
  • 1541-0048
OpenAlex
W2077233956
Cited by
343
References
114
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 32 · 2018: 27 · 2017: 36 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 10
FWCI
20.10
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • American Journal of Public Health (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Vetenskapsrådet
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD061817, R01HD061384, HD061384, HD061817)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Assisted Reproductive Technology and Twin Pregnancy
  • Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Advanced Causal Inference Techniques
Keywords
genetically informed designs, family-based designs, quasi-experimental design, gene-environment interaction, environmental risk factors, causal inference, sibling comparison, in vitro fertilization, smoking during pregnancy
MeSH terms
Environmental Exposure, Family Health, Female, Humans, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Research Design, Risk Factors, Smoking, Social Sciences, Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic, Behavioral Research, Genetic Research, Gene-Environment Interaction

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