Food neophobia shows heritable variation in humans.
Food neophobia refers to reluctance to eat unfamiliar foods. We determined the heritability of food neophobia in a family and a twin sample. The family sample consisted of 28 Finnish families (105 females, 50 males, aged 18-78 years, mean age 49 years) and the twin sample of 468 British female twin pairs (211 monozygous and 257 dizygous pairs, aged 17-82 years, mean age 55 years). Food neophobia was measured using the ten-item Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) questionnaire, and its internationally validated six-item modification. The heritability estimate for food neophobia was 69 and 66% in Finnish families (h(2)) and 67 and 66% in British female twins (a(2)+d(2)) using the ten- and six-item versions of the FNS, respectively. The results from both populations suggest that about two thirds of variation in food neophobia is genetically determined.
Knaapila
Antti
A
Department of Food Technology, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. antti.knaapila@helsinki.fi
Tuorila
Hely
H
Silventoinen
Karri
K
Keskitalo
Kaisu
K
Kallela
Mikko
M
Wessman
Maija
M
Peltonen
Leena
L
Cherkas
Lynn F
LF
Spector
Tim D
TD
Perola
Markus
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002755:Choice Behavior; D004435:Eating / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010375:Pedigree; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D012016:Reference Values; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic