Genetic and environmental influences on individual differences in sedentary behavior during adolescence: a twin-family study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the degree to which genetic and environmental influences affect individual differences in sedentary behavior throughout adolescence.


METHODS
Cross-sectional twin-family design.


METHODS
Data on self-reported sedentary behavior from Dutch twins and their nontwin siblings.


METHODS
The total sample consisted of 5074 adolescent twins (aged 13-19 years) and 937 siblings (aged 12-20 years) from 2777 families.


METHODS
Screen-viewing sedentary behavior was assessed with survey items about weekly frequency of television viewing, playing electronic games, and computer/Internet use. Based on these items,an overall score for screen-viewing sedentary behavior was computed.


RESULTS
The genetic architecture of screen-viewing sedentary behavior differed by age. Variation in sedentary behavior among 12-year-olds was accounted for by genetic (boys: 35%; girls: 19%), shared environmental (boys:29%; girls: 48%), and nonshared environmental (boys:36%; girls: 34%) factors. Variation in sedentary behavior among 20-year-olds was accounted for by genetic(boys: 48%; girls: 34%) and nonshared environmental(boys: 52%; girls: 66%) factors.


CONCLUSIONS
The shift from shared environmental factors in the etiology of sedentary behavior among younger adolescents to genetic and nonshared environmental factors among older adolescents requires age-specific tailoring of intervention programs.
EMGO Institute for Health and CareResearch VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Niels
N
van der Aa
Meike
M
Bartels
Saskia J
SJ
te Velde
Dorret I
DI
Boomsma
Eco J C
EJ
de Geus
Johannes
J
Brug
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014427:Twins / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult