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Children’s Dopaminergic Genotype is Associated with Maternal Reports of Household Chaos during Middle Childhood

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Abstract

Exposure to household chaos has important implications for youth’s developmental outcomes, yet variation exists in the exposure to such environments. The dopaminergic gene system represents a biologically relevant pathway that may help account for some of the variation in the home environment. The current study tests the association between mother’s and children’s dopaminergic genotype(s) and reports of family household chaos. Genotypic data for mothers and children (N = 2605) of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) are utilized to examine whether variation in mother’s and children’s dopaminergic polygenic scores comprised of four dopamine polymorphisms are associated with mother- and child-reported household chaos during ages 9–18. Children’s dopaminergic polygenic score was associated with maternal reports of household chaos at approximately age 9. Mother’s dopaminergic genotype was not significantly associated with maternal reports or child reports of household chaos. Variation in children’s dopaminergic genotype may be linked to maternal perceptions of household chaos, thereby suggesting the presence of an evocative and/or active gene-environment correlation during middle childhood.

Highlights

  • The dopaminergic system may account for variation in reports of household chaos due to the importance of dopamine for regulating attentional and inhibition processes.

  • The current study tests the association between mother’s and children’s dopaminergic genotype(s) and reports of family household chaos.

  • Children’s dopaminergic polygenic score was associated with maternal reports of household chaos at approximately age 9.

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Acknowledgements

The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) of the National Institutes of Health (R01HD036916) and a consortium of private foundations. Persons interested in obtaining the Fragile Families contract data should see http://www.fragilefamilies.princeton.edu for further information. The content is solely the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. A special acknowledgment is due to Dean Thomas G. Blomberg and the Florida State University College of Criminology and Criminal Justice for funding the application fee to obtain the Fragile Families contract data for the current project.

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  1. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA

    Jamie M. Gajos

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Gajos, J.M. Children’s Dopaminergic Genotype is Associated with Maternal Reports of Household Chaos during Middle Childhood. J Child Fam Stud 32, 3327–3337 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-022-02456-1

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