Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zahra Fathi, Yousef Gorji
Summary: This study found that body appreciation training can significantly reduce body image concerns, dissatisfaction with appearance, and interference in social functioning in overweight adolescents.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tania Jorge, Sofia Sousa, Isabel do Carmo, Nuno Lunet, Patricia Padrao
Summary: Trained observers can accurately estimate weight status in adults through structured observation, providing a useful and accurate alternative to direct measurement or self-reported weight. They are able to distinguish normal weight from overweight/obesity with high sensitivity and specificity, and substantial interrater reliability.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Manon Bordeleau, Natalie Almeras, Shirin Panahi, Vicky Drapeau
Summary: This study analyzed data from two studies and found that there is a positive association between body size perception and body size dissatisfaction among girls with normal weight and overweight/obesity. Underestimators who were satisfied with their body size had lower zBMI, less screen time, and longer sleep duration compared to dissatisfied underestimators. These findings suggest that body size satisfaction and underestimation in adolescents are associated with healthier lifestyle behaviors.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Claudia Boernhorst, Wolfgang Ahrens, Stefaan De Henauw, Monica Hunsberger, Denez Molnar, Luis A. Moreno, Paola Russo, Anton Schreuder, Elida Sina, Michael Tornaritis, Stefanie Vandevijvere, Thomas Veidebaum, Tanja Vrijkotte, Kathleen Wijnant, Maike Wolters
Summary: This study explores the age-dependent associations between 26 risk factors and BMI in early life, as well as differences by parental educational level. The results show that exposure to most unfavourable factors is higher in the low/medium education group, and trajectories of various risk factors change significantly at the age of 9-11 years. Family history of obesity, maternal BMI, pregnancy weight gain, and birth weight are positively associated with BMI trajectories, while the associations of behavioral factors with BMI are small. Parental unemployment and migrant background are positively associated with BMI in the low/medium education group.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Sara Ryding, Alexandra McQueen
Summary: Climate change affects tree swallows in various ways, with impacts on adults, juveniles, males, and females, rather than just affecting chick growth.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2022)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Ruben Fernandez-Rodriguez, Arthur E. Mesas, Miriam Garrido-Miguel, Isabel A. Martinez-Ortega, Estela Jimenez-Lopez, Vicente Martinez-Vizcaino
Summary: The network meta-analysis and systematic review found that consumption of almond-enriched diets can reduce waist circumference compared to a control diet, but overall, the intake of tree nuts and peanuts does not significantly influence adiposity.
Article
Pediatrics
Angela R. Jones, Kay D. Mann, Laura R. Cutler, Mark S. Pearce, Martin J. Tovee, Louisa J. Ells, Vera Araujo-Soares, Bronia Arnott, Julie M. Harris, Ashley J. Adamson
Summary: Research suggests that parents have limited ability to recognize when their child is overweight, and this recognition is crucial for preventing it. An intervention called MapMe was designed to improve parents' ability to categorize their child's weight accurately. The study found that the intervention was associated with a decrease in the child's BMI, but there was no direct evidence of improved parental recognition of child overweight status.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yan Cheng, Huilan Xu, Chris Rissel, Philayrath Phongsavan, Limin Buchanan, Sarah Taki, Alison Hayes, Louise A. Baur, Li Ming Wen
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using correction modeling to improve the accuracy of mother-reported child height and weight at 2 years. Correction modeling for BMI was conducted, and the indirect correction method showed better prediction of overweight status and agreement with measured values compared to the mother-reported measures.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Hunter Jackson Smith, Joy Piotrowski, Stephanie Zaza
Summary: Childhood obesity is a serious problem in the United States, with limited access to necessary interventions in many communities. Stakeholder collaborations and efforts to address equity issues are needed to ensure the ethical implementation of recommendations and access to interventions.
Article
Hematology
Tom Norris, Liina Mansukoski, Mark S. Gilthorpe, Mark Hamer, Rebecca Hardy, Laura D. Howe, Alun D. Hughes, Leah Li, Emma O'Donnell, Ken K. Ong, George B. Ploubidis, Richard J. Silverwood, Russell M. Viner, William Johnson
Summary: This study aimed to identify different classes of individuals with similar BMI trajectories and study their associations with cardiometabolic health. Results showed that individuals with high and stable BMI across childhood may have lower cardiometabolic disease risk than individuals who become overweight or obese later in adolescence.
ARTERIOSCLEROSIS THROMBOSIS AND VASCULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Anna K. Mazurek-Kusiak, Agata Kobylka, Natalia Korcz, Malgorzata Sosnowska
Summary: The study found that the main reasons for healthy eating among young Poles were to follow doctor's recommendations, lose weight, and lead a healthy lifestyle. However, the biggest barriers they faced included lack of time to prepare healthy meals, financial constraints, inability to cook, and limited knowledge about healthy eating.
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Kirsti Kvalsy, Eli Sandsgard-Hilmarsen, Trine Tetlie Eik-Nes, Grete Helen Bratberg
Summary: In recent years, there has been an increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents, as well as body size underestimation, symptoms of anxiety and depression. Body size underestimation was more common among boys than girls, and was associated with less dieting behavior, higher life satisfaction, and better mental health.
JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Francesca Favieri, Eunice Chen, Maria Casagrande
Summary: This study investigates the impact of cognitive processes on weight changes and the relationship between overweight and executive functions. The research found that motor disinhibition is associated with higher BMI, and the correlation between weight and executive functions varies across different age groups.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Claudia Bohn, Mandy Vogel, Tanja Poulain, Andreas Hiemisch, Wieland Kiess, Antje Koerner
Summary: This study analyzed the association of various factors including maternal weight gain during pregnancy, pre-pregnancy BMI, mother's age at birth, breastfeeding, age gap between siblings, physical activity, and sibling-related characteristics with the development of overweight in children and adolescents. The results showed that siblings had a lower BMI-SDS compared to only children. For only children, the association between birth order and increased BMI-SDS seemed to be present only up to the age of 11.
Editorial Material
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Kyle M. Siemers, Michelle L. Baack
Summary: In this study by Bidne and colleagues, changes in placental lipids and lipid metabolic enzymes were identified in the context of parental obesity, from as early as 4 weeks of gestation. Their assessment of lipid and enzyme content presents a feasible approach to understand the complexities of metabolic pathologies that impact the lifelong health of both parents and children.
Article
Substance Abuse
Genevieve F. Dash, Nicholas G. Martin, Wendy S. Slutske
Summary: Certain personality traits may increase the risk of using specific illicit drugs. The commonly identified associations between high neuroticism, low agreeableness, and low conscientiousness with drug use may be due to familial influences rather than personality itself. This insight can help predict the risk of illicit drug use more accurately and inform targeted prevention efforts.
PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Ang Li, Shouye Liu, Andrew Bakshi, Longda Jiang, Wenhan Chen, Zhili Zheng, Patrick F. Sullivan, Peter M. Visscher, Naomi R. Wray, Jian Yang, Jian Zeng
Summary: Gene-based association tests are widely used in post-GWAS analysis to aggregate multiple SNP-trait associations into sets defined by gene boundaries. However, the common approach of combining SNP associations by summing c2 statistics ignores the directions of SNP effects, leading to a loss of power for SNPs with masking effects. In this study, we introduce a new set-based test called "mBAT-combo" that has better power to detect multi-SNP associations in the context of masking effects. We validate the method through simulations and real data applications, and find evidence for masking effects in a majority of gene-trait pairs.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS
(2023)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Abdel Abdellaoui, Loic Yengo, Karin J. H. Verweij, Peter M. Visscher
Summary: The GWAS era has led to significant discoveries in various fields, including population genetics, complex trait genetics, epidemiology, social science, and medicine. The emergence of large-scale biobanks and whole-genome sequencing will further enhance our understanding of human genetic variation and its implications for complex traits and diseases.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhen Qiao, Julia Sidorenko, Joana A. Revez, Angli Xue, Xueling Lu, Katri Parna, Harold Snieder, Peter R. Visscher, Naomi Wray, Loic Yengo
Summary: This study characterizes the genetic regulation of post-prandial glucose levels and identifies the heritability of non-fasting glucose levels over time. The genetic control of glucose is largely constant across fasting durations and accounting for heritability differences improves the discovery of genetic variants associated with glucose. The study also identifies genetic loci controlling the variation of glucose levels in non-fasting individuals, which can be used to predict fasting glucose levels.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
V. Kartik Chundru, Riccardo E. Marioni, James G. D. Prendergast, Tian Lin, Allan J. Beveridge, Nicholas G. Martin, Grant W. Montgomery, David A. Hume, Ian J. Deary, Peter M. Visscher, Naomi R. Wray, Allan F. McRae
Summary: Testing the effect of rare variants on phenotypic variation is challenging due to the need for large cohorts. This study investigates the effect of rare genetic variants on DNA methylation (DNAm) and demonstrates their role in phenotypic variation. The study also shows that extreme levels of DNAm have functional consequences on gene expression.
HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Carolina Makowski, Hao Wang, Anjali Srinivasan, Anna Qi, Yuqi Qiu, Dennis van der Meer, Oleksandr Frei, Jingjing Zou, Peter M. Visscher, Jian Yang, Chi-Hua Chen
Summary: Human cortical expansion has not occurred uniformly across the brain. By comparing two sets of genome-wide association studies, we assessed the genetic architecture of cortical global expansion and regionalization in 32,488 adults. The genetic factors contributing to total surface area of the cortex expand anterior/frontal regions, while those contributing to thicker cortex increase dorsal/frontal-parietal thickness. The consideration of global measures is important for understanding the genetic variants underlying cortical morphology.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qile Dai, Geyu Zhou, Hongyu Zhao, Urmo Vosa, Lude Franke, Alexis Battle, Alexander Teumer, Terho Lehtimaki, Olli T. Raitakari, Tonu Esko, Michael P. Epstein, Jingjing Yang
Summary: Most TWAS tools require individual-level eQTL reference data, making them not suitable for summary-level reference eQTL datasets. Hence, the development of TWAS methods that can utilize summary-level reference data is valuable. In this study, a TWAS framework called OTTERS is introduced, which adapts multiple polygenic risk score methods to estimate eQTL weights from summary-level data and performs omnibus TWAS. Both simulations and application studies demonstrate the practicality and power of OTTERS as a TWAS tool.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Xiaotong Wang, Alicia Walker, Joana A. Revez, Guiyan Ni, Mark J. Adams, Andrew M. McIntosh, Peter M. Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Peter M. Visscher, Naomi R. Wray
Summary: In polygenic score (PGS) analysis, the coefficient of determination (R-2) is used to evaluate efficacy. However, in real data analyses, R-2 has been found to exceed the theoretical upper limit of the out-of-sample prediction calculated by SNP-based heritability (h(SNP)(2)). This is likely due to heterogeneities in cohort-specific h(SNP)(2) and genetic correlations between cohorts. We provide simulated and real data evidence to support these observations and emphasize the need for a better approach to address between-cohort heterogeneity.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Tessa A. Mulder, Purdey J. Campbell, Peter N. Taylor, Robin P. Peeters, Scott G. Wilson, Marco Medici, Colin Dayan, Vincent V. W. Jaddoe, John P. Walsh, Nicholas G. Martin, Henning Tiemeier, Tim I. M. Korevaar
Summary: This study found that the effects of many known thyroid function-related genes are already apparent in childhood, and some genes have a greater impact on children compared to adults. These findings provide new insights into the genetic regulation of thyroid function in early life.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Adrian I. Campos, Shinichi Namba, Shu-Chin Lin, Kisung Nam, Julia Sidorenko, Huanwei Wang, Yoichiro Kamatani, Ling-Hua Wang, Seunggeun Lee, Yen-Feng Lin, Yen-Chen Anne Feng, Yukinori Okada, Peter M. Visscher, Loic Yengo
Summary: Simulations and applications to real data show that adjustment of genome-wide association analyses for polygenic scores increases the statistical power for discovery across all ancestries, suggesting an analytical strategy for future studies in underrepresented populations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Erik D. Enbody, Ashley T. Sendell-Price, C. Grace Sprehn, Carl-Johan Rubin, Peter M. Visscher, B. Rosemary Grant, Peter R. Grant, Leif Andersson
Summary: This study used whole-genome data of Darwin's finches to identify six loci associated with beak size variation in Geospiza fortis. The major locus is a supergene composed of four genes. Changes in allele frequencies at these loci accompanied a significant change in beak size caused by natural selection during a drought, while introgressive hybridization with another species resulted in gradual changes in beak size in another population.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Lina M. Gomez, Brittany L. Mitchell, Kerrie McAloney, Jessica Adsett, Natalie Garden, Madeline Wood, Santiago Diaz-Torres, Luis M. Garcia-Marin, Michael Breakspear, Nicholas G. Martin, Michelle K. Lupton
Summary: The recruitment of participants for research studies may be biased. The Prospective Imaging Study of Ageing (PISA) aims to understand the traits and course of healthy adults at high risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the future. The genetic data of successfully and unsuccessfully recruited participants from existing cohort studies were analyzed to investigate the genetic contribution to voluntary recruitment and genetic predisposition to AD. While no significant association was found between the genetic risk for AD and study participation, significant associations were observed with key causal risk factors for AD, such as IQ, household income, and years of education. Older age and female gender were also found to be factors influencing study participation. The findings underscore the importance of considering bias in key risk factors for AD when recruiting individuals for cohort studies.
TWIN RESEARCH AND HUMAN GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Hao Wang, Carolina Makowski, Yanxiao Zhang, Anna Qi, Tobias Kaufmann, Olav B. Smeland, Mark Fiecas, Jian Yang, Peter M. Visscher, Chi-Hua Chen
Summary: The study investigates the impact of chromosomal inversions on human brain morphology by analyzing genotypes of adults with European ancestry. Several common inversions, including 2p22.3, 16p11.2, and 17q21.31, show significant associations with cortical and subcortical morphology. The inverted orientations of these regions have a noticeable effect on brain size and motor cortex. These findings contribute to understanding the role of inversions in shaping human brain phenotypes.
Article
Cell Biology
Eduardo A. Maury, Maxwell A. Sherman, Giulio Genovese, Thomas G. Gilgenast, Tushar Kamath, S. J. Burris, Prashanth Rajarajan, Erin Flaherty, Schahram Akbarian, Andrew Chess, Steven A. McCarroll, Po-Ru Loh, Jennifer E. Phillips-Cremins, Kristen J. Brennand, Evan Z. Macosko, James T. R. Walters, Michael O'Donovan, Patrick Sullivan, Jonathan Sebat, Eunjung A. Lee, Christopher A. Walsh
Summary: This study suggests that somatic copy-number variants (sCNVs) may play a potential role in the risk of schizophrenia (SCZ). Early-developmental sCNVs were more common in SCZ cases, including recurrent somatic deletions in the NRXN1 gene. Additionally, recurrent intragenic deletions of the ABCB11 gene were observed in treatment-resistant SCZ cases.
Article
Economics
Joan Costa-Font, Sarah Fleche, Ricardo Pagan
Summary: This study uses longitudinal data from Germany and finds that a one-hour increase in weekly sleep is associated with a rise in employment and an increase in weekly earnings. The effect on earnings comes from productivity improvements due to a decrease in working hours with longer sleep duration. The study also identifies improved mental well-being as a key mechanism driving these effects.
JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Economics
Jonas Cuzulan Hirani, Miriam Wust
Summary: The use of reminders in public vaccination programs can effectively increase childhood vaccination coverage, especially when sent close to the recommended vaccination age. Both digital and postal reminders have equal impact on vaccination rates. Prospective reminders can improve timely vaccinations in later childhood and help achieve high coverage for new vaccines in complex vaccination programs. Reminders prompt additional preventive care for the focal children, but have no spillover effects on other health behaviors or relatives.
JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS
(2024)
