Prof Johannes Brug
EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research
VU University Medical Center
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Project title
Genes and environment in obesogenic behaviour: Exploring the relative importance of environmental and genetic factors on sedentary behaviour and sleep duration during adolescence - a study in adolescent twins (2009/08)
Scientific abstract
Recent research has shown that several cancers are associated with overweight and obesity, and lack of physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Overweight is the result of a positive imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Overweight and obesity in adolescence is a very strong predictor of obesity in adulthood and of subsequent development of chronic diseases, including cancer. In recent years more and more research suggests that sleep duration may influence the risk of becoming overweight and sleep duration may also be associated with cancer risk. However, a lack of understanding into possible genetic and environmental influences on sleep duration is a barrier for intervention development. It is therefore necessary to understand what influences energy balance related behaviours in order to suggest appropriate changes.
This study will look at important behaviours that increase the risk of becoming overweight, such as sedentary behaviour and sleep duration using data from the Young Netherlands Twin Registry (a study of twins (mono-and dizygotic twins) and their non-twin siblings), to estimate the contribution of genetic and environmental influences on these behaviours and how they change over time.
By including both identical and non-identical twins and their non-twin siblings, the importance of this project is in its twin study design, which provides the opportunity to disentangle genetic, shared and non-shared environmental influences, something not possible in traditional studies.
If shared environmental influences come out as having a fairly large contribution to individual differences in sedentary behaviour and sleep duration, this may imply that intervention strategies addressing family and home environmental factors can be effective in discouraging sedentary behaviour and promoting sufficient sleep duration. If, however, genetic factors are important, this might imply that intervention activities may target families as early as possible.
Project plain language abstract
Background: Recent research has shown that several cancers are associated with overweight and obesity, as well as with lack of physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Overweight is the result of a positive imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Overweight and obesity in adolescence is a very strong predictor of obesity in adulthood and of subsequent development of chronic diseases including cancer. In recent years more and more research suggests that sleep duration may influence the risk of becoming overweight and sleep duration may also be associated with cancer risk. However, a lack of understanding into possible genetic and environmental influences on sleep duration is a barrier for intervention development. It is therefore necessary to understand what influences energy balance related behaviours in order to suggest appropriate changes.
Project details: This study will look at important behaviours that increase the risk of becoming overweight, such as sedentary behaviour and sleep duration using data from the Young Netherlands Twin Registry (a study of twins (mono-and dizygotic twins) and their non-twin siblings), to estimate the contribution of genetic and environmental influences on these behaviours and how they change over time.
By including both identical and non-identical twins and their non-twin siblings, the importance of this project is in its twin study design, which provides the opportunity to disentangle genetic, shared and non-shared environmental influences, something not possible in traditional studies.
If shared environmental influences come out as having a fairly large contribution to individual differences in sedentary behaviour and sleep duration, this may imply that intervention strategies addressing family and home environmental factors can be effective in discouraging sedentary behaviour and promoting sufficient sleep duration. If, however, genetic factors are important, this might imply that intervention activities may target families as early as possible.
| Institution and location | Degree | Year | Scientific Field |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands | Msc | 1982-1989 | Human Nutrition |
| Dutch Epidemiology Institute, The Netherlands | Msc | 1992-1993 | Epidemiology |
| Maastricht University, The Netherlands | PhD | 1994-1997 | Health Sciences |
| 2007–Present | Scientific director of the Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands |
| 2002–2007 | Professor of Determinants of Public Health, Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands |
| 2000-2004 | Professor in Nutrition Behaviour, department of Health Education and Promotion, Maastricht University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Maastricht, The Netherlands |
| 2001–2002 | Director of Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, Maastricht University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Maastricht, The |
| 1997–1999 | Associate Professor in Health Psychology; chair of Faculty of Social Sciences, Netherlands Open University, Heerlen, The Netherlands. |
| 1994–1997 | Research Associate, Department of Health Education and Promotion, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. |
| 1991–1994 | Research fellow, Dutch Cancer Society, Department of health Education, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands; |
| 1989–1991 | Research Associate, TNO Nutrition Institute, Department of Epidemiology, Zeist, The Netherlands. |
Research interests
Health-related behaviours, health education and health promotion interventions.
