TY - JOUR
T1 - Sex-specific genetic effects in physical activity
T2 - Results from a quantitative genetic analysis
AU - Diego, Vincent P.
AU - de Chaves, Raquel Nichele
AU - Blangero, John
AU - de Souza, Michele Caroline
AU - Santos, Daniel
AU - Gomes, Thayse Natacha
AU - dos Santos, Fernanda Karina
AU - Garganta, Rui
AU - Katzmarzyk, Peter T.
AU - Maia, José A.R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Diego et al.
PY - 2015/8/1
Y1 - 2015/8/1
N2 - Background: The objective of this study is to present a model to estimate sex-specific genetic effects on physical activity (PA) levels and sedentary behaviour (SB) using three generation families. Methods: The sample consisted of 100 families covering three generations from Portugal. PA and SB were assessed via the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form (IPAQ-SF). Sex-specific effects were assessed by genotype-by-sex interaction (GSI) models and sex-specific heritabilities. GSI effects and heterogeneity were tested in the residual environmental variance. SPSS 17 and SOLAR v. 4.1 were used in all computations. Results: The genetic component for PA and SB domains varied from low to moderate (11 % to 46 %), when analyzing both genders combined. We found GSI effects for vigorous PA (p = 0.02) and time spent watching television (WT) (p < 0.001) that showed significantly higher additive genetic variance estimates in males. The heterogeneity in the residual environmental variance was significant for moderate PA (p = 0.02), vigorous PA (p = 0.006) and total PA (p = 0.001). Sex-specific heritability estimates were significantly higher in males only for WT, with a male-to-female difference in heritability of 42.5 (95 % confidence interval: 6.4, 70.4). Conclusions: Low to moderate genetic effects on PA and SB traits were found. Results from the GSI model show that there are sex-specific effects in two phenotypes, VPA and WT with a stronger genetic influence in males.
AB - Background: The objective of this study is to present a model to estimate sex-specific genetic effects on physical activity (PA) levels and sedentary behaviour (SB) using three generation families. Methods: The sample consisted of 100 families covering three generations from Portugal. PA and SB were assessed via the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form (IPAQ-SF). Sex-specific effects were assessed by genotype-by-sex interaction (GSI) models and sex-specific heritabilities. GSI effects and heterogeneity were tested in the residual environmental variance. SPSS 17 and SOLAR v. 4.1 were used in all computations. Results: The genetic component for PA and SB domains varied from low to moderate (11 % to 46 %), when analyzing both genders combined. We found GSI effects for vigorous PA (p = 0.02) and time spent watching television (WT) (p < 0.001) that showed significantly higher additive genetic variance estimates in males. The heterogeneity in the residual environmental variance was significant for moderate PA (p = 0.02), vigorous PA (p = 0.006) and total PA (p = 0.001). Sex-specific heritability estimates were significantly higher in males only for WT, with a male-to-female difference in heritability of 42.5 (95 % confidence interval: 6.4, 70.4). Conclusions: Low to moderate genetic effects on PA and SB traits were found. Results from the GSI model show that there are sex-specific effects in two phenotypes, VPA and WT with a stronger genetic influence in males.
KW - Heritability
KW - Physical activity
KW - Sedentary behaviour
KW - Sex effects
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84938081231&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s12881-015-0207-9
DO - 10.1186/s12881-015-0207-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 26231751
AN - SCOPUS:84938081231
SN - 1471-2350
VL - 16
SP - 58
JO - BMC Medical Genetics
JF - BMC Medical Genetics
IS - 1
M1 - 58
ER -