Neighborhood X Serotonin Transporter Linked Polymorphic Region (5-HTTLPR) interactions for substance use from ages 10 to 24 years using a harmonized data set of African American children0

• Authors: Michael Windle, Emory University; Steven M. Kogan, University of Georgia; Sunbok Lee, University of Georgia; Yi-Fu Chen, University of Georgia; Karlo Mankit Lei, University of Georgia; Gene H. Brody, University of Georgia; Steven R. H. Beach, University of Georgia; Tianyi Yu, University of Georgia
• Journal Title: Development and Psychopathology
• Volume: Volume 28, Number 2
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press | 2016-05-01, Pages 415-431
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1017/S095457941500053X
• Subjects: Psychology, Developmental
• Keywords: Social Sciences; Psychology, Developmental; Psychology; INTEGRATIVE DATA-ANALYSIS; GENE-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS; STRESSFUL LIFE EVENTS; ADOLESCENT DRUG-USE; DIFFERENTIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY; ALCOHOL-USE; MISSING-DATA; PROMOTER POLYMORPHISM; COLLECTIVE EFFICACY; PROTECTIVE FACTORS

Abstract

This study investigated the influences of neighborhood factors (residential stability and neighborhood disadvantage) and variants of the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) genotype on the development of substance use among African American children aged 10-24 years. To accomplish this, a harmonized data set of five longitudinal studies was created via pooling overlapping age cohorts to establish a database with 2,689 children and 12,474 data points to span ages 10-24 years. A description of steps used in the development of the harmonized data set is provided, including how issues such as the measurement equivalence of constructs were addressed. A sequence of multilevel models was specified to evaluate Gene × Environment effects on growth of substance use across time. Findings indicated that residential instability was associated with higher levels and a steeper gradient of growth in substance use across time. The inclusion of the 5-HTTLPR genotype provided greater precision to the relationships in that higher residential instability, in conjunction with the risk variant of 5-HTTLPR (i.e., the short allele), was associated with the highest level and steepest gradient of growth in substance use across ages 10-24 years. The findings demonstrated how the creation of a harmonized data set increased statistical power to test Gene × Environment interactions for an under studied sample.