Work

Childhood socioeconomic status moderates genetic predisposition for peak smoking

Year: 2018

Type: preprint

Abstract: Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., and it is strongly influenced both by genetic predisposition and childhood socioeconomic status (SES). Using genetic variants exhibiting credible and robust associations with smoking, we construct polygenic risk scores (PGS) and evaluate whether childhood SES mediates genetic risk in determining peak-cigarette consumption in adulthood. We find a substantial protective effect of childhood SES for those genetically at risk of smoking: adult smokers who grew up in high-SES households tend to smoke roughly the same amount of cigarettesper day at peak (∼ 23 for low and ∼ 25 for high genetic risk individuals, or about 8%more), while individuals from low-SES backgrounds tend to smoke substantially more ifgenetically at risk (∼ 25 for low and ∼ 32 for high genetic risk individuals, or about 28% more).

Source: bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

DOI: 10.1101/336834

Authors: Laura Bierut, Pietro Biroli, Titus J. Galama, Kevin Thom

Institutions: Washington University in St. Louis, University of Zurich, University of Southern California, New York University

Language: English

Topic: Smoking Behavior and Cessation

Subfield: Physiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W2805142559

Cites: 93

Cited by: 21

Related to: 10