The Sociogenomics of Polygenic Scores of Reproductive Behavior and Their Relationship to Other Fertility Traits

• Published in: RSF : Russell Sage Foundation journal of the social sciences 2018-04, Vol.4 (4), p.122-136
• Main Authors: Mills, Melinda C, Barban, Nicola, Tropf, Felix C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: age at first birth; Behavior; Behavioral genetics; Disease; educational attainment; Fertility; Gene loci; Genetics; Genomes; Genomics; Human genetics; human reproduction; Infertility; Medical genetics; Men; Menopause; Modeling; number of children ever born; Part IV. Genes and Environments over the Life Course; Phenotypic traits; polygenic scores; Power; Regression analysis; Reproductive behavior; Reproductive technologies; Retirement; Robustness; Science; Scientists; Social sciences; Sociology; Stratification; Twins; Women; Womens health
• ISSN: 2377-8253; 2377-8261
• DOI: 10.7758/rsf.2018.4.4.07

Human reproductive behavior until relatively recently has been explained exclusively via individual and social characteristics. This article applies results from a recent Genome-Wide Association Study that combined sixty-two data sources to isolate twelve genetic loci associated with reproductive behavior. We create polygenic scores that allow us to include a summary variable of genetic factors into our statistical models. We use four datasets: the U.S. Health and Retirement Study, Dutch LifeLines, TwinsUK and the Swedish Twin register. First, we provide a brief overview of the dominant explanations of reproductive behavior. Second, we test the predictive power of polygenic scores. Third, we interrogate the robustness of our models using a series of sensitivity analyses to take into account possible confounders due to population stratification and selection.