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Table 6 Bivariate longitudinal analysis: standardized variance and covariance estimates of best-fitting models 1,2 for selected eating behaviors

From: Genetic and environmental influences on eating behaviors in 2.5- and 9-year-old children: a longitudinal twin study

Variable

Model

Estimate

a2

c2

e2

Does not eat enough

AE (drop e21)

Var 2.5y

0.91 (0.79, 0.97)

-

0.09 (0.03, 0.21)

  

Var 9y

0.62 (0.35, 0.82)

-

0.38 (0.18, 0.65)

  

Cov 2.5-9y

1.00 (1.00, 1.00)

-

-

Eats too much

AE (drop e21)

Var 2.5y

0.87 (0.71, 0.95)

-

0.13 (0.05, 0.29)

  

Var 9y

0.52 (0.25, 0.74)

-

0.48 (0.26, 0.75)

  

Cov 2.5-9y

1.00 (1.00, 1.00)

-

-

Eats too fast

AE (drop e21, sex2.5)

Var 2.5y

0.71 (0.48, 0.87)

-

0.29 (0.13, 0.52)

  

Var 9y

0.38 (0.14, 0.60)

-

0.62 (0.40, 0.86)

  

Cov 2.5-9y

1.00 (1.00, 1.00)

-

-

Eats between meals

ACE (drop c21, e21)

Var 2.5y

0.26 (0.06, 0.52)

0.69 (0.44, 0.86)

0.04 (0.01, 0.12)

  

Var 9y

0.72 (0.22, 0.91)

0.09 (0.00, 0.49)

0.20 (0.09, 0.37)

  

Cov 2.5-9y

1.00 (1.00, 1.00)

-

-

Eats a different meal

CE (drop e21)

Var 2.5y

-

1.00 (0.99, 1.00)

0.00 (0.00, 0.01)

  

Var 9y

-

0.68 (0.56, 0.80)

0.32 (0.20, 0.46)

  

Cov 2.5-9y

-

1.00 (1.00, 1.00)

-

  1. 1Based on lowest AIC and nonsignificant likelihood ratio chi-square test of model against comparison model (P > 0.05) — See Additional files 5 and 6. 95% CIs in parentheses.
  2. 2All models refer to basic models (without adjustment for age or sex) except for Eats too fast trait for which a bivariate ACE model adjusted for children’s sex provided a better fit (lowest BIC).
  3. c21, path coefficient of shared environmental influences present at age 2.5 on behavior trait at age 9; e21, path coefficient of unique environmental influences present at age 2.5 on behavior trait at age 9; sex2.5y, effect of sex at age 2.5; Var2.5y, proportion of variance explained by additive genetic influences (a2), shared environmental influences (c2) and unique environmental influences (e2) at age 2.5; Var9y, proportion of variance explained by a2, c2 and e2 at age 9; Cov2.5-9y, proportion of covariance explained by a2, c2 and e2 between 2.5 and 9 years.