Skip to main content

Table 5 Univariate analysis: standardized variance estimates of best-fitting models 1 for selected eating behaviors

From: Genetic and environmental influences on eating behaviors in 2.5- and 9-year-old children: a longitudinal twin study

Variable

Age

Sex

Model

a2

d2

c2

e2

Does not eat enough

2.5

Both

AE

0.89 (0.75, 0.96)

-

-

0.11 (0.04, 0.25)

 

9

Both

AE

0.56 (0.28, 0.78)

-

-

0.44 (0.22, 0.72)

Eats too much

2.5

Both

AE

0.87 (0.70, 0.95)

-

-

0.13 (0.05, 0.30)

 

9

Both

DE

-

0.55 (0.25, 0.77)

-

0.45 (0.23, 0.75)

Eats too fast

2.5

Both

AE

0.71 (0.49, 0.87)

 

-

0.29 (0.13, 0.51)

 

9

Both

DE2

-

0.44 (0.18, 0.66)

-

0.56 (0.34, 0.82)

Refuses to eat

2.5

Girls

CE3

-

-

0.82 (0.65, 0.92)

0.18 (0.08, 0.35)

  

Boys

ACE3

0.58 (0.16, 0.85)

-

0.22 (0.02, 0.53)

0.21 (0.07, 0.47)

 

9

Both

AE

0.84 (0.63, 0.94)

-

-

0.16 (0.06, 0.37)

Fussy about food

2.5

Both

CE

-

-

0.70 (0.51, 0.84)

0.30 (0.16, 0.49)

 

9

Both

DE

-

0.85 (0.59, 0.96)

-

0.15 (0.04, 0.41)

Eats at irregular hours

9

Both

CE

-

-

0.76 (0.58, 0.88)

0.24 (0.12, 0.42)

Eats between meals

2.5

Both

ACE

0.24 (0.02, 0.51)

-

0.71 (0.46, 0.89)

0.05 (0.01, 0.12)

 

9

Both

AE

0.81 (0.66, 0.91)

-

-

0.19 (0.09, 0.34)

Eats a different meal

2.5

Both

CE

-

-

1.00 (0.99, 1.00)

0.00 (0.00, 0.01)

 

9

Both

CE

-

-

0.70 (0.54, 0.81)

0.30 (0.19, 0.46)

Skips breakfast

9

Both

CE

-

-

0.82 (0.65, 0.92)

0.18 (0.08, 0.35)

Fussy about vegetables

9

Both

AE

0.73 (0.52, 0.87)

-

-

0.27 (0.13, 0.48)

Fussy about fruit

9

Both

CE

-

-

0.58 (0.38, 0.73)

0.42 (0.27, 0.62)

Fussy about whole-grain bread

9

Both

CE

-

-

0.84 (0.74, 0.91)

0.16 (0.09, 0.26)

  1. 1Based on lowest AIC and nonsignificant likelihood ratio chi-square test of model against saturated model (P > 0.05). 95% CIs in parentheses. Models adjusted for the effects of several ordinal variables (including age, sex, ethnicity, parental education and annual family income) did not provide a better fit than basic models (based on lowest BIC), except for Eats too fast at age 9 (see note 2).
  2. 2Model adjusted for children’s sex.
  3. 3Sex-limited model.
  4. a2, proportion of variance explained by additive genetic influences; d2, proportion of variance explained by non-additive genetic influences; c2, proportion of variance explained by shared environmental influences; e2, proportion of variance explained by unique environmental influences, including measurement error.