Journal article
Prevention, Use of Health Services, and Genes: Implications of Genetics for Policy Formation
Journal of policy analysis and management, Vol.34(3), pp.519-536
2015
DOI: 10.1002/pam.21835
PMCID: PMC5844353
PMID: 26106669
Abstract
We evaluate the hypothesis that genetic factors influence the use of health services and prevention behaviors in a national sample of adult twins in the United States. The analysis compares the correlation of these outcomes between identical twins, who share all their genes, to the correlation between nonidentical twins, who share, on average, only one-half of their genes. Because the environmental similarities of twins are assumed to be the same for identical and nonidentical twin pairs, researchers can partition the variance in behavioral outcomes that are due to genetic and environmental factors. Using established methods in this field, we find evidence of significant genetic influences on preferences toward prevention, overall prevention effort, routine checkups, and prescription drug use. Use of curative services does not appear to be influenced by genes. Our findings offer several implications for policymakers and researchers and suggest that genetics could be informative for health services and policy research.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Prevention, Use of Health Services, and Genes: Implications of Genetics for Policy Formation
- Creators
- George L Wehby - National Bureau of Economic Research, and Departments of Health Management and Policy, Economics, Preventive & Community Dentistry, and the Public Policy center at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242. george-wehby@uiowa.eduBenjamin W Domingue - Institute of Behavioral Science at the University of Colorad, Boulder, CO 80302. Benjamin.domingue@colorado.eduJason D Boardman - Department of Sociology & the Institute of Behavioral Science at the University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80302. boardman@colorado.edu
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of policy analysis and management, Vol.34(3), pp.519-536
- Publisher
- United States
- DOI
- 10.1002/pam.21835
- PMID
- 26106669
- PMCID
- PMC5844353
- ISSN
- 0276-8739
- eISSN
- 1520-6688
- Grant note
- P01 AG020166 / NIA NIH HHS R01 HD060726 / NICHD NIH HHS P2C HD066613 / NICHD NIH HHS U19 AG051426 / NIA NIH HHS
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2015
- Academic Unit
- Preventive and Community Dentistry; Health Management and Policy; Economics; Public Policy Center (Archive)
- Record Identifier
- 9984063141802771
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