The Sociogenomics of Polygenic Scores of Reproductive Behavior and Their Relationship to Other Fertility Traits

oleh: Melinda C. Mills, Nicola Barban, Felix C. Tropf

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: Russell Sage Foundation 2018-04-01

Deskripsi

Human reproductive behavior until relatively recently has been explained exclusively via individual and social characteristics. This article applies results from a recent Genome-Wide Association Study that combined sixty-two data sources to isolate twelve genetic loci associated with reproductive behavior. We create polygenic scores that allow us to include a summary variable of genetic factors into our statistical models. We use four datasets: the U.S. Health and Retirement Study, Dutch LifeLines, TwinsUK and the Swedish Twin register. First, we provide a brief overview of the dominant explanations of reproductive behavior. Second, we test the predictive power of polygenic scores. Third, we interrogate the robustness of our models using a series of sensitivity analyses to take into account possible confounders due to population stratification and selection.