Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T13:24:31.707Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Vietnam Era Twin (VET) Registry: Method of Construction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

S. Eisen*
Affiliation:
Research Service, St. Louis VA Medical Center, Missouri, andWashington University School of Medicine, USA
W. True
Affiliation:
Psychiatry & Research Services, St. Louis VA Medical Center, andSt. Louis University School of Medicine, Missouri, USA
J. Goldberg
Affiliation:
University of Illinois School of Public Health, Hines, Illinois, USA Hines VA Cooperative Studies Program Coordinating Center, Illinois, USA
W. Henderson
Affiliation:
Hines VA Cooperative Studies Program Coordinating Center, Illinois, USA
C.D. Robinette
Affiliation:
Medical Follow-up Agency, National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, Washington, DC, USA
*
151A-JB, St. Louis VA Medical Center, St. Louis, MO 63125, USA

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A Vietnam Era (1964-1975) Twin Registry of American male-male veterans born between 1939 and 1955 has been developed to provide a study sample for research evaluating the impact of Vietnam service on the medical and psychosocial aspects of health. In preparation for developing the Registry, several alternative sources of twins and methods for identifying twins were investigated. A computerized database of veterans discharged from the military after 1967 was selected as the source because it contains about 50% of the total Vietnam era veteran population, is reasonably unbiased, and provides a feasible method for identifying twins. Twins were identified using an algorithm which involved matching entries on the database for same last name, different first name, same date of birth, and similar social security number. Twin status was confirmed by review of military records. The registry, now complete, is composed of 7,400 twin pairs. It will be an important resource for future research projects.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1987

References

REFERENCES

1.California Bureau of Vital Statistics and Data Processing (1984): Processing Procedures for Twin Study File. Unpublished document.Google Scholar
2.Cederlof, R, Lorich, U (1978): The Swedish twin registry. Prog Clin Biol Res 24:189195.Google ScholarPubMed
3.Connecticut Division of Health Statistics (1980): Multiple Birth Tape Layout. Unpublished Document.Google Scholar
4.Friedman, GD, Lewis, AM (1978): The Kaiser-Permanente twin registry. Prog Clin Biol Res 24: 173177.Google ScholarPubMed
5.Goldberg, J, True, W, Eisen, S, Henderson, W, Robinette, CD (1987): The Vietnam era twin (VET) registry: ascertainment bias. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 36:6778.Google ScholarPubMed
6.Hrubec, Z, Robinette, CD (1984): The study of human twins in medical research. N Engl J Med 310:435441.Google Scholar
7.Jablon, S, Neel, JV, Gershowitz, H, Atkinson, GF (1967): The NAS-NRC twin panel: methods of construction of the panel, zygosity, diagnosis, and proposed use. Am J Hum Genet 19:133161.Google Scholar
8.Kendler, KS, Holm, NV (1985): Differential enrollment in twin registries: its effect on prevalence and concordance rates and estimates of genetic parameters. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 34:125140.Google Scholar
9.Kringlen, E (1978): Norwegian twin registers. Prog Clin Biol Res 24:185187.Google ScholarPubMed
10.McDowell, AJ (1978): Twin data available from the national health examination surveys. Prog Clin Biol Res 24:197201.Google Scholar
11.Nance, WE (1984): The relevance of twin studies to cardiovascular research. Prog Clin Biol Res 147:325–48.Google Scholar
12.Ritvo, ER, Freeman, BJ, Mason Brothers, A, Mo, A, Ritvo, AM (1985): Concordance for the syndrome of autism in 40 pairs of afflicted twins. Am J Psychiatry 142:7477.Google ScholarPubMed
13.Sarna, S, Kaprio, J, Sistonen, P, Koskenvuo, M (1978): Diagnosis of twin zygosity by mailed questionnaire. Hum Hered 28:241254.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.United States Department of Defense, Defense Manpower Data Center (1982): Data Base Profile and Overview. Unpublished document.Google Scholar
15.United States, Veterans Administration (1968): Beneficiary Identification and Records Locator Subsystem. Unpublished document.Google Scholar