Projects per year
Abstract
Background
The way in which socioeconomic status (SES) moderates the etiology of reading attainment has been explored many times, with past work often finding that genetic influences are suppressed under conditions of socioeconomic deprivation and more fully realized under conditions of socioeconomic advantage: a gene–SES interaction. Additionally, past work has pointed toward the presence of gene–location interactions, with the relative influence of genes and environment varying across geographic regions of the same country/state.
Method
This study investigates the extent to which SES and geographical location interact to moderate the genetic and environmental components of reading attainment. Utilizing data from 2,135 twin pairs in Florida (mean age 13.82 years, range 10.71–17.77), the study operationalized reading attainment as reading comprehension scores from a statewide test and SES as household income. We applied a spatial twin analysis procedure to investigate how twin genetic and environmental estimates vary by geographic location. We then expanded this analysis to explore how the moderating role of SES on said genetic and environmental influences also varied by geographic location.
Results
A gene–SES interaction was found, with heritability of reading being suppressed in lower- (23%) versus higher-SES homes (78%). The magnitude of the moderating parameters were not consistent by location, however, and ranged from −0.10 to 0.10 for the moderating effect on genetic influences, and from −0.30 to 0.05 for the moderating effect on environmental influences. For smaller areas and those with less socioeconomic variability, the magnitude of the genetic moderating parameter was high, giving rise to more fully realized genetic influences on reading there.
Conclusions
SES significantly influences reading variability. However, a child's home location matters in both the overall etiology and how strongly SES moderates said etiologies. These results point toward the presence of multiple significant environmental factors that simultaneously, and inseparably, influence the underlying etiology of reading attainment.
The way in which socioeconomic status (SES) moderates the etiology of reading attainment has been explored many times, with past work often finding that genetic influences are suppressed under conditions of socioeconomic deprivation and more fully realized under conditions of socioeconomic advantage: a gene–SES interaction. Additionally, past work has pointed toward the presence of gene–location interactions, with the relative influence of genes and environment varying across geographic regions of the same country/state.
Method
This study investigates the extent to which SES and geographical location interact to moderate the genetic and environmental components of reading attainment. Utilizing data from 2,135 twin pairs in Florida (mean age 13.82 years, range 10.71–17.77), the study operationalized reading attainment as reading comprehension scores from a statewide test and SES as household income. We applied a spatial twin analysis procedure to investigate how twin genetic and environmental estimates vary by geographic location. We then expanded this analysis to explore how the moderating role of SES on said genetic and environmental influences also varied by geographic location.
Results
A gene–SES interaction was found, with heritability of reading being suppressed in lower- (23%) versus higher-SES homes (78%). The magnitude of the moderating parameters were not consistent by location, however, and ranged from −0.10 to 0.10 for the moderating effect on genetic influences, and from −0.30 to 0.05 for the moderating effect on environmental influences. For smaller areas and those with less socioeconomic variability, the magnitude of the genetic moderating parameter was high, giving rise to more fully realized genetic influences on reading there.
Conclusions
SES significantly influences reading variability. However, a child's home location matters in both the overall etiology and how strongly SES moderates said etiologies. These results point toward the presence of multiple significant environmental factors that simultaneously, and inseparably, influence the underlying etiology of reading attainment.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 798-808 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry |
| Volume | 65 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Early online date | 28 Oct 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2023 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Where you live matters: Visualizing environmental effects on reading attainment'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 1 Active
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Integrative Epidemiology Unit
Gaunt, L. F. (Principal Investigator)
1/04/23 → 31/03/28
Project: Research, Parent
Equipment
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HPC (High Performance Computing) and HTC (High Throughput Computing) Facilities
Alam, S. R. (Manager), Eccleston, P. E. (Other), Williams, D. A. G. (Manager) & Atack, S. H. (Other)
Facility/equipment: Facility