Abstract
The precise nature of how genetic and environmental risk factors influence changes in alcohol use (AU) over time has not yet been investigated. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to examine the nature of longitudinal changes in these risk factors to AU from mid-adolescence through young adulthood. Using a large sample of male twins, we compared five developmental models that each makes different predictions regarding the longitudinal changes in genetic and environmental risks for AU. The best-fitting model indicated that genetic influences were consistent with a gradual growth in the liability to AU, whereas unique environmental risk factors were consistent with an accumulation of risks across time. These results imply that two distinct processes influence adolescent AU between the ages of 15–25. Genetic effects influence baseline levels of AU and rates of change across time, while unique environmental effects are more cumulative.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 498-506 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Behavior Genetics |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 1 2017 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Genetics
- Genetics(clinical)
