Life Situation and Coping Ability: A Follow-Up of a Longitudinal Swedish Twin Study from Adolescence to Mid-Life.

This longitudinal study investigated hereditary and environmental influences on life situation, self-reported health, and coping ability at mid-life in relation to background factors collected during adolescence. A nationally representative Swedish sample comprised of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins; a control group of singletons was assessed when subjects were 16 years of age and again when they were in their mid-30s. A questionnaire addressing civil status, children, housing, education, occupation, economic situation, frequency of family contacts, family environment, and coping ability was completed by 319 twins and 322 singletons. Results showed sex differences, similar to findings during adolescent evaluation. Males reported higher occupational status and less frequent parental contact than females. DZ male twin adults had the most positive economic situation; MZ female twin adults reported the least positive. MZ male and DZ same-sex male twin adults had higher coping ability scores than other subjects. Teacher ratings of school adjustment during adolescence were positively related to coping ability at mid-life, with a stronger relationship for males than females. MZ twin adults showed a higher within pair concordance for coping ability than did DZ twin adults, suggesting hereditary influence on coping ability. MZ twins perceived their school environment during adolescence more similarly within pairs than did DZ twin pairs. MZ male twins perceived their family environment during adolescence more similarly within pairs than did DZ same-sex male twins. However, female MZ twins perceived their family environment during adolescence less similarly within pairs compared to DZ same-sex female twins. (KDFB) Stockholm Institute of Education Department of Special Education Anna-Lena Lange Anna-Lena.Lange@lhs.se 46 8 737 55 92 Introduction 96-10-23 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) '<This document has been reproduced as ecelved from the person or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of new or opinions stated 8111111S document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy Life situation and Coping ability A follow-up of a longitudinal Swedish Twin study from adolescence to mid-life 1 (2) PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY Anna,1.Q. L-001Vg TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This study is based upon a Swedish longitudinal study which started in the middle of the sixties. It was called the SLU-study (Skoloverstyrelsens och Lararhogskolans Utvecklingsstudie). Between 1964 and 1971 a nationally representative sample of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins and a control group of singletons were followed from grade 3 at 10 years of age to grade 9 at 16 years of age in the Swedish compulsery school. Originally 323 twin pairs, MZ and DZ, as well as 1193 controls were included in the sample. Among the DZ twins there were both same sex and opposite sex pairs. The main purpose was then to study physical and mental growth during puberty as well as hereditary and environmental influences on these growth processes. Several kinds of information were collected, such as physical data, intelligence test, ratings by teachers concerning school adjustment, socioeconomic background data. Results from the original SLU-study showed substantial sex differences. The twin girls had on average lower ability test results compared to the controls, while this was not the case for the boys. This inferiority of twin girls in comparison to the controls was also found concerning physical development. Twin girls tended to be smaller and weigh less during puberty, while no such differences were found for boys (Fischbein, 1979). A follow-up study After 20 years, when the SLU-participants were in their mid-thirties, a follow-up study has been made of this sample. The main purpose of this new study is to investigate hereditary and environmental influences on life situation, self reported health and coping ability at mid-life in relation to background factors collected during adolescence. The purpose was also to study if sex differences mentioned above during adolescence remain at the age of 35. EST COPY AVAILABLE Address P.O. Box 473 08 S-100 74 Stockholm Location Phone Trekantsvagen 3 08/737 55 00 vx (721 Fax 08/737 96 30 2 Method A two step design has been applied. The main result of the first step of this follow-up study showed that more women than men were positive to participate in a new study (Lange & Fischbein, 1992). This is in accordance with other longitudinal studies (Furu, 1985). Next step of the follow-up consisted of a questionnaire. This was sent to a representative sample among those who agreed to participate in a new study. The aim was to include 600 individuals, half of them women and half of them men. For each sex there should be 50 per cent twins and 50 per cent controls. This study comprised 319 twins and 322 controls (Figure 1). More women than men participated in the questionnaire study, which was in accordance with the first follow-up mentioned above.