title: Common genetic architecture underlying young children's food fussiness and liking for vegetables and fruit.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Food fussiness (FF) is common in early childhood and is often associated with the rejection of nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables and fruit. FF and liking for vegetables and fruit are likely all heritable phenotypes; the genetic influence underlying FF may explain the observed genetic influence on liking for vegetables and fruit. Twin analyses make it possible to get a broad-based estimate of the extent of the shared genetic influence that underlies these traits.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We quantified the extent of the shared genetic influence that underlies FF and liking for vegetables and fruit in early childhood with the use of a twin design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were from the Gemini cohort, which is a population-based sample of twins born in England and Wales in 2007. Parents of 3-y-old twins (n= 1330 pairs) completed questionnaire measures of their children's food preferences (liking for vegetables and fruit) and the FF scale from the Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Multivariate quantitative genetic modeling was used to estimate common genetic influences that underlie FF and liking for vegetables and fruit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Genetic correlations were significant and moderate to large in size between FF and liking for both vegetables (-0.65) and fruit (-0.43), which indicated that a substantial proportion of the genes that influence FF also influence liking. Common genes that underlie FF and liking for vegetables and fruit largely explained the observed phenotypic correlations between them (68-70%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FF and liking for fruit and vegetables in young children share a large proportion of common genetic factors. The genetic influence on FF may determine why fussy children typically reject fruit and vegetables.
authors: Health Behavior Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom; and a.fildes@ucl.ac.uk.
authors: Alison
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5452-2512
authors: A
authors: Fildes
authors: Department for Health Evidence and Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
authors: Cornelia H M
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4269-0041
authors: CH
authors: van Jaarsveld
authors: Health Behavior Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom; and.
authors: Lucy
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5938-7110
authors: L
authors: Cooke
authors: Health Behavior Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom; and.
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Wardle
authors: Health Behavior Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom; and.
authors: Clare H
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0066-2827
authors: CH
authors: Llewellyn
mesh_terms: D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002755:Choice Behavior; D004435:Eating / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D005638:Fruit; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010290:Parents; D010641:Phenotype; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D014675:Vegetables
keywords: child; eating; food; fussiness; genetic; heritability; infant; liking; preferences