Utilizing the Resource of Twins Reared Apart: Their Distribution Across Nine Provinces or Cities of China

Autor: Weihua Cao, Shengfeng Wang, Liming Cong, Guohong Jiang, Hua Wang, Wenjing Gao, Binyou Wang, Jun Lv, Bin Zhou, Xiaojie Wang, Xianping Wu, Zengchang Pang, Zhong Dong, Liming Li, Canqing Yu, Fan Wu
Rok vydání: 2015
Předmět:
Zdroj: Twin Research and Human Genetics. 18:210-216
ISSN: 1839-2628
1832-4274
Popis: Twins reared apart provide a fascinating experiment to distinguish genetic from environmental influences. However, there is as yet no broad report on distribution of twins reared apart, especially in the Chinese population. In this study, information on 18,295 volunteer twin pairs of all age groups was compiled in nine provinces or cities of China, and questionnaires were used for zygosity determination. It was discovered that twins reared apart from 0 to 10 years of age accounted for 2.2% of all twin interviewees, with the proportion of this 0–10 group separated before 1, 2, and 5 years old, accounting for 65.3%, 76.1%, and 91.3%, respectively. The proportion of twins reared apart is not significantly related to zygosity or gender, but it is related to region and twin age. As the age of twins lowers, the proportion of those reared apart gradually decreases. Twins reared apart will become rarer in the future and therefore should be cherished as a resource.
Databáze: OpenAIRE