Polygenic indexes (PGIs) are DNA-based predictors. Their value for research in many scientific disciplines is growing rapidly. As a resource for researchers, we used a consistent methodology to construct PGIs for 47 phenotypes in 11 datasets. To maximize the PGIs’ prediction accuracies, we constructed them using genome-wide association studies—some not previously published—from multiple data sources, including 23andMe and UK Biobank. We present a theoretical framework to help interpret analyses involving PGIs. A key insight is that a PGI can be understood as an unbiased but noisy measure of a latent variable we call the ‘additive SNP factor’. Regressions in which the true regressor is this factor but the PGI is used as its proxy therefore suffer from errors-in-variables bias. We derive an estimator that corrects for the bias, illustrate the correction, and make a Python tool for implementing it publicly available. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.
- Resource profile and user guide of the Polygenic Index Repository
- Joel Becker - New York UniversityCasper A.P. Burik - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)Grant Goldman - National Bureau of Economic Research (US)Nancy Wang - National Bureau of Economic Research (US)Hariharan Jayashankar - National Bureau of Economic Research (US)Michael Bennett - National Bureau of Economic Research (US)Daniel W. Belsky - Columbia University (US)Richard Karlsson- Linnér - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)Rafael Ahlskog - Uppsala University (SE)Aaron Kleinman - 23andMeDavid A. Hinds - 23andMeMichelle Agee - 23andMeBabak Alipanahi Ramandi - 23andMeAdam Auton - 23andMeRobert K. Bell - 23andMeKatarzyna Bryc - 23andMeSarah L. Elson - 23andMePierre Fontanillas - 23andMeNicholas A Furlotte - 23andMeKaren E. Huber - 23andMeNadia K. Litterman - 23andMeJennifer C. McCreight - 23andMeMatthew H. McIntyre - 23andMeJoanna L. Mountain - 23andMeCarrie A.M. Northover - 23andMeSteven J. Pitts - 23andMeJarupon Fah Sathirapongsasuti - 23andMeOlga V. Sazonova - 23andMeJanie F. Shelton - 23andMeSuyash S. Shringarpure - 23andMeChao Tian - 23andMeJoyce Y. Tung - 23andMeVladimir Vacic - 23andMeCatherine H. Wilson - 23andMeOlesya Ajnakina - University College London (GB)Jonathan P Beauchamp - George Mason UniversityAvshalom Caspi - Duke UniversityDavid L. Corcoran - Duke UniversityTerrie E. Moffitt - Duke UniversityRichie G. Poulton - University of OtagoKaren Sugden - Duke UniversityBenjamin S. Williams - Duke UniversityKathleen Mullan Harris - University of North CarolinaAndrew Steptoe - University College London (GB)Lili Milani - University of TartuTõnu Esko - University of TartuWilliam G. Iacono - University of Minnesota Twin Cities (US)Matt McGue - University of MinnesotaPatrik K. E. Magnusson - Karolinska Institutet (SE)Travis T. Mallard - University of Texas at AustinKathryn Paige Harden - University of Texas at AustinElliot M. Tucker-Drob - University of Texas at AustinPamela Herd - Georgetown University (US)Jeremy Freese - Stanford University (US)Alexander Young - UCLA Anderson School of ManagementPhilipp D. Koellinger - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)Sven Oskarsson - Uppsala University (SE)Magnus Johannesson - Stockholm School of Economics, Department of EconomicsPeter M. Visscher - University of Queensland (AU)Michelle N Meyer - Geisinger Health SystemDavid Laibson - National Bureau of Economic Research (US)David Cesarini - National Bureau of Economic Research (US)Daniel J. Benjamin - National Bureau of Economic Research (US)Patrick Turley - University of Southern California (US)Aysu Okbay - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- Nature Human Behaviour, Vol.5(12), pp.1744-1758
- Nature Research (part of Springer Nature)
- 15
- Department of Economics
- English
- Journal article