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Zygosity Diagnosis of Twins by Questionnaire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

S. Ooki ,
K. Yamada ,
A. Asaka  and
K. Hayakawa
S. Ooki*
Affiliation:
School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Osaka, Japan
K. Yamada
Affiliation:
Department of Nursing, Sapporo Medical College, Osaka, Japan
A. Asaka
Affiliation:
Department of Health Sciences, Yamanashi Medical College, Osaka, Japan
K. Hayakawa
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Kinki University, Osaka, Japan
*
Department of Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan

Abstract

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Subjects were 189 twin pairs, 165 MZ and 24 same-sexed DZ, who entered the junior high school affiliated to Tokyo University (sample T), and 93 twin pairs, 71 MZ and 22 same-sexed DZ, who were registered at Kinki University (sample K). The zygosity was previously identified by many genetic markers, and this study aimed at zygosity diagnosis by questionnaire. The latter included three questions: “How are you alike?”, “How often are you mistaken?”, and “By whom are you mistaken?”. According to the degree, 1-3 points, 1-3 points, and 1-4 points were given for each question, and the sum of the points of each pair of twins was calculated. Zygosity was determined by the sum of points, distributed from 6 to 20. Namely, if the sum was 6-13, the twin pair was considered MZ, and if the sum was 14-20, DZ. More than 90% of twins were diagnosed correctly by use of this cutting point. This result was in accordance with that obtained by use of discriminant function analysis. It is concluded that zygosity diagnosis by questionnaire is convenient and useful, in particular for epidemiological research.

Keywords

Zygosity diagnosisQuestionnaireDiscriminant function analysis
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 39 , Issue 1 , January 1990 , pp. 109 - 115
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1990

References

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