Genetic endowments for social capital: An investigation accounting for genetic nurturing effects

Michael Lebenbaum, France Gagnon, Claire de Oliveira and Audrey Laporte

Economics & Human Biology, 2024, vol. 52, issue C

Abstract: Despite social capital having been shown to be important for health and well-being, relatively little research has examined genetic determinants. Genetic endowments for education have been shown to influence human, financial, and health capital, but few studies have examined social capital, and those conducted have yet to account for genetic nurturing. We used the Add-Health data to study the effect of genetic endowments on individual social capital using the education polygenic score (PGS). We used sibling fixed effects models and controlled for the family environment to account for genetic nurturing. After accounting for the family environment, we found moderately large significant associations between the education PGS and volunteering, but associations with religious service attendance and number of friends were completely attenuated in sibling fixed effects models. These findings highlight that genetic endowments play an important role in influencing volunteering and the importance of accounting for genetic nurturing.

Keywords: Social capital; Education; Polygenic scores; Genetic nurturing; Sibling fixed effects (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:52:y:2024:i:c:s1570677x23000977

DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2023.101316

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