title: The Brazilian Twin Registry.
abstract: The Brazilian Twin Registry (BTR) was established in 2013 and has impelled twin research in South America. The main aim of the initiative was to create a resource that would be accessible to the Brazilian scientific community as well as international researchers interested in the investigation of the contribution of genetic and environmental factors in the development of common diseases, phenotypes, and human behavior traits. The BTR is a joint effort between academic and governmental institutions from Brazil and Australia. The collaboration includes the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil, the University of Sydney and University of Melbourne in Australia, the Australian Twin Registry, as well as the research foundations CNPq and CAPES in Brazil. The BTR is a member of the International Network of Twin Registries. Recruitment strategies used to register twins have been through participation in a longitudinal study investigating genetic and environmental factors for low back pain occurrence, and from a variety of sources including media campaigns and social networking. Currently, 291 twins are registered in the BTR, with data on demographics, zygosity, anthropometrics, and health history having been collected from 151 twins using a standardized self-reported questionnaire. Future BTR plans include the registration of thousands of Brazilian twins identified from different sources and collaborate nationally and internationally with other research groups interested on twin studies.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences,University of Sydney,Sydney,New South Wales,Australia.
authors.forename: Paulo H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisioterapia,Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais,Belo Horizonte,Brazil.
authors.forename: Vinicius C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisioterapia,Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais,Belo Horizonte,Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniela R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Junqueira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisioterapia,Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais,Belo Horizonte,Brazil.
authors.forename: Lígia C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Cisneros
authors.affiliation: Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics,Melbourne School of Population and Global Health,University of Melbourne,Melbourne,Victoria,Australia.
authors.forename: Lucas C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics,Melbourne School of Population and Global Health,University of Melbourne,Melbourne,Victoria,Australia.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology,Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca-UMU),University Clinical Hospital;Virgen de la Arrixaca,University of Murcia,Murcia,Spain.
authors.forename: Juan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ordoñana
authors.affiliation: Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics,Melbourne School of Population and Global Health,University of Melbourne,Melbourne,Victoria,Australia.
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hopper
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisioterapia,Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais,Belo Horizonte,Brazil.
authors.forename: Luci F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Teixeira-Salmela
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D001938:Brazil; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012042:Registries; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic / Q000235:genetics*; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: Brazil; disease prevention; health promotion; twin registry; twin studies