Citation

Malanchini M, Smith-Woolley E, Ayorech Z, Rimfeld K, Krapohl E, Vuoksimaa E, Korhonen T, Bartels M, van Beijsterveldt TCEM, Rose RJ, Lundström S, Anckarsäter H, Kaprio J, Lichtenstein P, Boomsma DI, Plomin R. Psychol. Med. 2019; 49(4): 646-654.

Affiliation

Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre,King's College London,United Kingdom.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/S0033291718001344

PMID

29886849

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) has been linked to offspring's externalizing problems. It has been argued that socio-demographic factors (e.g. maternal age and education), co-occurring environmental risk factors, or pleiotropic genetic effects may account for the association between MSDP and later outcomes. This study provides a comprehensive investigation of the association between MSDP and a single harmonized component of externalizing: aggressive behaviour, measured throughout childhood and adolescence.

METHODS: Data came from four prospective twin cohorts - Twins Early Development Study, Netherlands Twin Register, Childhood and Adolescent Twin Study of Sweden, and FinnTwin12 study - who collaborate in the EU-ACTION consortium. Data from 30 708 unrelated individuals were analysed. Based on item level data, a harmonized measure of aggression was created at ages 9-10; 12; 14-15 and 16-18.

RESULTS: MSDP predicted aggression in childhood and adolescence. A meta-analysis across the four samples found the independent effect of MSDP to be 0.4% (r = 0.066), this remained consistent when analyses were performed separately by sex. All other perinatal factors combined explained 1.1% of the variance in aggression across all ages and samples (r = 0.112). Paternal smoking and aggressive parenting strategies did not account for the MSDP-aggression association, consistent with the hypothesis of a small direct link between MSDP and aggression.

CONCLUSIONS: Perinatal factors, including MSDP, account for a small portion of the variance in aggression in childhood and adolescence. Later experiences may play a greater role in shaping adolescents' aggressive behaviour.

Language: en

Keywords

Adolescence; aggression; cross-cultural; maternal smoking during pregnancy; meta-analysis; parental aggression; paternal smoking; perinatal