The Relative Contribution of Genes and Environment to Alcohol Use in Early Adolescents: Are Similar Factors Related to Initiation of Alcohol Use and Frequency of Drinking?
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research OnlineEarly Articles 28 April 2008


The present study assessed the relative contribution of genes and environment to individual differences in initiation of alcohol use and frequency of drinking among early adolescents and examined the extent to which the same genetic and environmental factors influence both individual differences in initiation of alcohol use and frequency of drinking.

Findings indicated that genetic factors were most important for variation in early initiation of alcohol use (83% explained variance in males and 70% in females). There was a small contribution of common environment (2% in males, 19% in females).

In contrast, common environmental factors explained most of the variation in frequency of drinking (82% in males and females). In males the association between initiation and frequency was explained by common environmental factors influencing both phenotypes. In females, there was a large contribution of common environmental factors that influenced frequency of drinking only. There was no evidence that different genetic or common environmental factors operated in males and females.

Different factors were involved in individual differences in early initiation of alcohol use and frequency of drinking once adolescents have started to use alcohol.

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