The impact of late-career job loss and genetic risk on body mass index: Evidence from variance polygenic scores
Abstract Unemployment shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic have reignited concerns over the long-term effects of job loss on population health. Past research has highlighted the corrosive effects of unemployment on health and health behaviors. This study examines whether the effects of job loss on chan...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2021-04-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86716-y |
| _version_ | 1797845963517198336 |
|---|---|
| author | Lauren L. Schmitz Julia Goodwin Jiacheng Miao Qiongshi Lu Dalton Conley |
| author_facet | Lauren L. Schmitz Julia Goodwin Jiacheng Miao Qiongshi Lu Dalton Conley |
| author_sort | Lauren L. Schmitz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Unemployment shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic have reignited concerns over the long-term effects of job loss on population health. Past research has highlighted the corrosive effects of unemployment on health and health behaviors. This study examines whether the effects of job loss on changes in body mass index (BMI) are moderated by genetic predisposition using data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS). To improve detection of gene-by-environment (G × E) interplay, we interacted layoffs from business closures—a plausibly exogenous environmental exposure—with whole-genome polygenic scores (PGSs) that capture genetic contributions to both the population mean (mPGS) and variance (vPGS) of BMI. Results show evidence of genetic moderation using a vPGS (as opposed to an mPGS) and indicate genome-wide summary measures of phenotypic plasticity may further our understanding of how environmental stimuli modify the distribution of complex traits in a population. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:47:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b68fdef6b7264172a2a34e2f49658892 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:47:26Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-b68fdef6b7264172a2a34e2f496588922023-04-16T11:15:28ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222021-04-0111111510.1038/s41598-021-86716-yThe impact of late-career job loss and genetic risk on body mass index: Evidence from variance polygenic scoresLauren L. Schmitz0Julia Goodwin1Jiacheng Miao2Qiongshi Lu3Dalton Conley4Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin-MadisonDepartment of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-MadisonDepartment of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-MadisonDepartment of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-MadisonDepartment of Sociology, Princeton University & NBERAbstract Unemployment shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic have reignited concerns over the long-term effects of job loss on population health. Past research has highlighted the corrosive effects of unemployment on health and health behaviors. This study examines whether the effects of job loss on changes in body mass index (BMI) are moderated by genetic predisposition using data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS). To improve detection of gene-by-environment (G × E) interplay, we interacted layoffs from business closures—a plausibly exogenous environmental exposure—with whole-genome polygenic scores (PGSs) that capture genetic contributions to both the population mean (mPGS) and variance (vPGS) of BMI. Results show evidence of genetic moderation using a vPGS (as opposed to an mPGS) and indicate genome-wide summary measures of phenotypic plasticity may further our understanding of how environmental stimuli modify the distribution of complex traits in a population.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86716-y |
| spellingShingle | Lauren L. Schmitz Julia Goodwin Jiacheng Miao Qiongshi Lu Dalton Conley The impact of late-career job loss and genetic risk on body mass index: Evidence from variance polygenic scores Scientific Reports |
| title | The impact of late-career job loss and genetic risk on body mass index: Evidence from variance polygenic scores |
| title_full | The impact of late-career job loss and genetic risk on body mass index: Evidence from variance polygenic scores |
| title_fullStr | The impact of late-career job loss and genetic risk on body mass index: Evidence from variance polygenic scores |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of late-career job loss and genetic risk on body mass index: Evidence from variance polygenic scores |
| title_short | The impact of late-career job loss and genetic risk on body mass index: Evidence from variance polygenic scores |
| title_sort | impact of late career job loss and genetic risk on body mass index evidence from variance polygenic scores |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86716-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT laurenlschmitz theimpactoflatecareerjoblossandgeneticriskonbodymassindexevidencefromvariancepolygenicscores AT juliagoodwin theimpactoflatecareerjoblossandgeneticriskonbodymassindexevidencefromvariancepolygenicscores AT jiachengmiao theimpactoflatecareerjoblossandgeneticriskonbodymassindexevidencefromvariancepolygenicscores AT qiongshilu theimpactoflatecareerjoblossandgeneticriskonbodymassindexevidencefromvariancepolygenicscores AT daltonconley theimpactoflatecareerjoblossandgeneticriskonbodymassindexevidencefromvariancepolygenicscores AT laurenlschmitz impactoflatecareerjoblossandgeneticriskonbodymassindexevidencefromvariancepolygenicscores AT juliagoodwin impactoflatecareerjoblossandgeneticriskonbodymassindexevidencefromvariancepolygenicscores AT jiachengmiao impactoflatecareerjoblossandgeneticriskonbodymassindexevidencefromvariancepolygenicscores AT qiongshilu impactoflatecareerjoblossandgeneticriskonbodymassindexevidencefromvariancepolygenicscores AT daltonconley impactoflatecareerjoblossandgeneticriskonbodymassindexevidencefromvariancepolygenicscores |