An Investigation of the Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Tobacco Use Behaviors in Young Adulthood

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in both the United States and worldwide. Twin and family studies have demonstrated that both genetic and environmental factors are important... [ view full abstract ]

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in both the United States and worldwide. Twin and family studies have demonstrated that both genetic and environmental factors are important contributors to tobacco use; yet, few studies have examined the transition from adolescent to young adulthood – the time when many individuals are experimenting with and developing patterns of tobacco use. Thus, to address this issue, the present study investigates the role of genes and one aspect of the environment – the parental environment within a large sample of undergraduate students attending a diverse, urban university in the Mid-Atlantic region in the United States. Preliminary results demonstrate that aggregate SNP heritability significantly accounts for the variance in ever tobacco use, age of initiation, and regular use within those of European ancestry using genome-wide complex trait analyses. While conducting genome wide association studies, few significant SNPs were found to be associated with current use and cigarettes per day. Polygenic risk scores derived from top SNPs from the Tobacco and Genetics Consortium data for ever vs. never regular smoker were also found to be predictive of tobacco use behaviors. Where polygenic risk scores were predictive, the main and interaction effects of the polygenic risk score and measures of parental involvement were estimated. Continued examination of the genetic and environmental architecture is necessary for the impacts it may have on public health efforts among this understudied population.