title: Genetic and environmental factors in health-related behaviors: studies on Finnish twins and twin families.
abstract: Family, twin and adoption studies have provided evidence for familial and genetic influences on individual differences in disease risk and in human behavior. Attempts to identify individual genes accounting for these differences have not been outstandingly successful to date, and at best, known genes account for only a fraction of the familiality of most traits or diseases. More detailed knowledge of the dynamics of gene action and of specific environmental conditions are needed. Twin and twin-family studies with multiple measurements of risk factors and morbidity over time can permit a much more detailed assessment of the developmental dynamics of disease risk and the unfolding of behavioral risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Public Health, University of Helsinki, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland. jaakko.kaprio@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Jaakko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaprio
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pulkkinen
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Rose
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D004777:Environment; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D009017:Morbidity; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D018433:Twin Studies as Topic; D014427:Twins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*