Excerpt

The goal of the study was to identify approaches and strategies to strengthen the integration of social, behavioral, and genetic research and to consider the relevant training and infrastructure needs. More specifically, NIH requested the following: (1) Review the state of the science on the interactions between the social environment and genetics that affect human health. (2) Develop case studies that will demonstrate how the interactions of the social environment and genetics affect health outcomes; illustrate the methodological issues involved in measuring the interactions; elucidate the research gaps; point to key areas necessary for integrating social, behavioral, and genetic research; and suggest mechanisms for overcoming barriers. (3) Identify gaps in the knowledge and barriers that exist to integrating social, behavioral, and genetic research in this area. (4) Recommend specific short- and long-term priorities for social and behavioral research on gene-social environment interactions; identify mechanisms that can be used to encourage interdisciplinary research in this area. (5) Assess workforce, resource, and infrastructure needs and make actionable recommendations on overcoming barriers and developing mechanisms to accelerate progress.

Contents

• The National Academies
• Committee on Assessing Interactions Among Social, Behavioral, and Genetic Factors in Health
• Board on Health Sciences Policy
• Independent Report Reviewers
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Summary
  • RECOMMENDATIONS
  • CONCLUDING REMARKS
  • REFERENCES
• 1. Introduction
  • DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
  • TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
  • COMMISSIONED PAPERS
  • CONTEXT
  • GOALS OF THE REPORT
  • CONCLUSION
  • REFERENCES
• 2. The Impact of Social and Cultural Environment on Health
  • DEFINING THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT
  • THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL AND CULTURAL VARIABLES ON HEALTH: AN OVERVIEW OF PAST RESEARCH
  • ASPECTS OF HEALTH INFLUENCED BY THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
  • LIMITATIONS OF CURRENT RESEARCH
  • CONCLUSION
  • REFERENCES
• 3. Genetics and Health
  • GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY
  • GENETIC LINKAGE ANALYSIS AND GENETIC ASSOCIATION STUDIES
  • GENE-ENVIRONMENT AND GENE-GENE INTERACTIONS
  • MECHANISMS OF GENE EXPRESSION
  • ASPECTS OF HEALTH INFLUENCED BY GENETICS
  • GENETICS OF POPULATONS AS RELATED TO HEALTH AND DISEASE
  • CONCLUSION
  • REFERENCES
• 4. Genetic, Environmental, and Personality Determinants of Health Risk Behaviors
  • INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
  • DEFINITIONS OF HEALTH RISK BEHAVIORS
  • TOBACCO USE
  • UNHEALTHY EATING BEHAVIORS AND OBESITY
  • PHYSICAL INACTIVITY
  • USING INTERMEDIATE PHENOTYPES TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF GENE-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS
  • CONCLUSION
  • REFERENCES
• 5. Sex/Gender, Race/Ethnicity, and Health
  • SEX/GENDER
  • RACE/ETHNICITY
  • CONCLUSION
  • REFERENCES
• 6. Embedded Relationships Among Social, Behavioral, and Genetic Factors
  • THINKING FROM THE BOTTOM UP: GENOMIC INFORMATION INFLUENCING GENE EXPRESSION
  • THINKING FROM THE BOTTOM UP: GENOMIC INFORMATION EMBEDDED IN BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMS
  • THINKING FROM THE TOP DOWN: SOCIAL FACTORS INFLUENCING CELLS, TISSUES, AND PHYSIOLOGY
  • MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF GENE-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION
  • THE NEED FOR SYSTEMS APPROACHES
  • REFERENCES
• 7. Animal Models
  • ROLE OF ANIMAL MODELS
  • DEFINITIONS FROM ANIMAL RESEARCH
  • IDENTIFYING GENE-SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS AFFECTING HEALTH AND DISEASE
  • FUTURE ISSUES
  • REFERENCES
• 8. Study Design and Analysis for Assessment of Interactions
  • DEFINITIONS OF INTERACTIONS
  • RESEARCH DESIGNS FOR EVALUATING INTERACTIONS
  • STATISTICAL ISSUES COMMON TO ALL RESEARCH DESIGNS
  • CONCLUSION
  • REFERENCES
• 9. Infrastructure
  • EDUCATION
  • MECHANISMS OF SUPPORT
  • DATA
  • INCENTIVES AND REWARDS—NIH AND ACADEME
  • PEER REVIEW
  • CONCLUSION
  • REFERENCES
• 10. Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications
  • CONVEYING COMPLEX SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS ACCURATELY
  • POLICY DOES NOT INEXORABLY FOLLOW FROM SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES
  • ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH
  • REFERENCES
• 11. Conclusion
• Appendixes
  • A Methodology: Data Collection and Analysis
  • B Recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences/National Academy of Engineering/Institute of Medicine Report Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research
  • C Social Environmental and Genetic Influences on Obesity and Obesity-Promoting Behaviors: Fostering Research Integration
  • D The Interaction of Social, Behavioral, and Genetic Factors in Sickle Cell Disease
  • E Modern Epidemiologic Approaches to Interaction: Applications to the Study of Genetic Interactions
  • F Acronyms
  • G Biographical Sketches

This study was supported by Contract No. N01-OD-4-2139, TO 154 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.