ERIC Number: EJ741425
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-May
Pages: 10
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0012-1649
EISSN: N/A
Family Structure and Age at Menarche: A Children-of-Twins Approach
Mendle, Jane; Turkheimer, Eric; D'Onofrio, Brian M.; Lynch, Stacy K.; Emery, Robert E.; Slutske, Wendy S.; Martin, Nicholas G.
Developmental Psychology, v42 n3 p533-542 May 2006
Girls who grow up in households with an unrelated adult male reach menarche earlier than peers, a finding hypothesized to be an evolutionary strategy for families under stress. The authors tested the alternative hypothesis that nonrandom selection into stepfathering due to shared environmental and/or genetic predispositions creates a spurious relation between stepfathering and early menarche. Using the unique controls for genetic and shared environmental experiences offered by the children-of-twins design, the authors found that cousins discordant for stepfathering did not differ in age of menarche. Moreover, controlling for mother's age of menarche eliminated differences in menarcheal age associated with stepfathering in unrelated girls. These findings strongly suggest selection, and not causation, accounts for the relationship between stepfathering and early menarche.
Descriptors: Females, Genetics, Family Structure, Sex Education, Family (Sociological Unit), Child Development, Age, Environmental Influences, Evolution
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org/publications.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A