Abstract
This study delineated the nature of individual differences in self-reported health status across a 30-year period. Potential survival and selection effects on mean levels, variances, and genetic and environmental sources of variance were evaluated. Self-reported health status in 1963 was evaluated in 5,229 pairs of twins from the Swedish Twin Registry and in a subsample of 351 pairs surviving to the age of 80 years in 1993. Structural equation modeling evaluated genetic and environmental contributions to total variance and change in variance. For men but not women, the genetic and environmental influences on health symptoms differed between survivors and nonsurvivors. Total variance increased, reflecting an increase in environmental variance, across the 30 years for both genders. Genetic variance decreased longitudinally for men. The increase in variation from the mid-50s to the mid-80s appears to be due to an accumulation in environmental variation. There are gender differences that deserve further exploration.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.