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Child Care, Socio-economic Status and Problem Behavior: A Study of Gene–Environment Interaction in Young Dutch Twins

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Abstract

The influences of formal child care before age 4 on behavioral problems at 3, 5, and 7 years of age were assessed in 18,932 Dutch twins (3,878 attended formal child care). The effect of formal child care was studied on the average level of problem behavior and as moderator of genetic and non-genetic influences, while taking into account effects of sex and parental socio-economic status (SES). There was a small association between attending formal child care and higher externalizing problems, especially when SES was low. Heritability was lower for formal child care and in lower SES conditions. These effects were largest at age 7 and for externalizing problems. In 7 year-old boys and girls, the difference in heritability between the formal child care group of low SES and the home care group of high SES was 30 % for externalizing and ~20 % for internalizing problems. The decrease in heritability was explained by a larger influence of the environment, rather than by a decrease in genetic variance. These results support a bioecological model in which heritability is lower in circumstances associated with more problem behavior.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by ZonMw, grant number 920-03-268, and “Spinozapremie” (NWO/SPI 56-464-14192); “Twin-family database for behavior genetics and genomics studies” (NWO 480-04-004); Genetics of Mental Illness: European Research Council (ERC-230374, PI Boomsma); Genetic influences on stability and change in psychopathology from childhood to young adulthood (NWO/ZonMW 91210020), NWO (VENI 916-76-125; PI Middeldorp) and ERC Starting Grant 284167 (PI Vink).

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

The data collection was approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee of the VU University Medical Centre.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Netherlands Twin Register, Department Biological Psychology, VU University, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Christel M. Middeldorp, Diane J. Lamb, Jacqueline M. Vink, Meike Bartels, Catharina E. M. van Beijsterveldt & Dorret I. Boomsma

  2. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, GGZ inGeest/VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Christel M. Middeldorp

  3. Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam (NCA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Christel M. Middeldorp, Jacqueline M. Vink & Dorret I. Boomsma

  4. EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Meike Bartels & Dorret I. Boomsma

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  1. Christel M. Middeldorp
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  2. Diane J. Lamb
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Correspondence to Christel M. Middeldorp.

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Edited by Valerie Knopik.

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Middeldorp, C.M., Lamb, D.J., Vink, J.M. et al. Child Care, Socio-economic Status and Problem Behavior: A Study of Gene–Environment Interaction in Young Dutch Twins. Behav Genet 44, 314–325 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-014-9660-z

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