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Exploring the association of genetic factors with participation in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

ABSTRACT: Background:It is often assumed that selection (including participation and dropout) does not represent an important source of bias in genetic studies. However, there is little evidence to date on the effect of genetic factors on participation. Methods:Using data on mothers (N?=?7486) and children (N?=?7508) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, we: (i) examined the association of polygenic risk scores for a range of sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics and health conditions related to continued participation; (ii) investigated whether associations of polygenic scores with body mass index (BMI; derived from self-reported weight and height) and self-reported smoking differed in the largest sample with genetic data and a subsample who participated in a recent follow-up; and (iii) determined the proportion of variation in participation explained by common genetic variants, using genome-wide data. Results:We found evidence that polygenic scores for higher education, agreeableness and openness were associated with higher participation; and polygenic scores for smoking initiation, higher BMI, neuroticism, schizophrenia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression were associated with lower participation. Associations between the polygenic score for education and self-reported smoking differed between the largest sample with genetic data [odds ratio (OR) for ever smoking per standard deviation (SD) increase in polygenic score: 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.81, 0.89} and subsample (OR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.89, 1.03). In genome-wide analysis, single nucleotide polymorphism based heritability explained 18-32% of variability in participation. Conclusions:Genetic association studies, including Mendelian randomization, can be biased by selection, including loss to follow-up. Genetic risk for dropout should be considered in all analyses of studies with selective participation.

SUBMITTER: Taylor AE

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6124613 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Exploring the association of genetic factors with participation in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

Taylor Amy E AE Jones Hannah J HJ Sallis Hannah H Euesden Jack J Stergiakouli Evie E Davies Neil M NM Zammit Stanley S Lawlor Debbie A DA Munafò Marcus R MR Davey Smith George G Tilling Kate K

International journal of epidemiology 20180801 4

<h4>Background</h4>It is often assumed that selection (including participation and dropout) does not represent an important source of bias in genetic studies. However, there is little evidence to date on the effect of genetic factors on participation.<h4>Methods</h4>Using data on mothers (N = 7486) and children (N = 7508) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, we: (i) examined the association of polygenic risk scores for a range of sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristic ...[more]

PMID: 29800128

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Project description:BackgroundIn observational research, choosing an optimal analysis strategy when variables are incomplete requires an understanding of the factors associated with ongoing participation and non-response, but this cannot be fully examined with incomplete data. Linkage to external datasets provides additional information on those with incomplete data, allowing examination of factors related to missingness.MethodsWe examined the association between baseline sociodemographic factors and ongoing participation in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. We investigated whether child and adolescent outcomes measured in linked education and primary care data were associated with participation, after accounting for baseline factors. To demonstrate the potential for bias, we examined whether the association between maternal smoking and these outcomes differed in the subsample who completed the 19-year questionnaire.ResultsLower levels of school attainment, lower general practitioner (GP) consultation and prescription rates, higher body mass index (BMI), special educational needs (SEN) status, not having an asthma diagnosis, depression and being a smoker were associated with lower participation after adjustment for baseline factors. For example, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for participation comparing ever smokers (by 18 years) with non-smokers was: 0.65, 95% CI (0.56, 0.75). The associations with maternal smoking differed between the subsample of participants at 19 years and the entire sample, although differences were small and confidence intervals overlapped. For example: for SEN status, OR = 1.19 (1.06, 1.33) (all participants); OR = 1.03 (0.79, 1.45) (subsample).ConclusionsA range of health-related and educational factors are associated with ongoing participation in ALSPAC; this is likely to be the case in other cohort studies. Researchers need to be aware of this when planning their analysis. Cohort studies can use linkage to routine data to explore predictors of ongoing participation and conduct sensitivity analyses to assess potential bias.

Dataset Information

Exploring the association of genetic factors with participation in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

Publications

Exploring the association of genetic factors with participation in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

Similar Datasets

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