Genetic investigation of the association between maternal dietary patterns and offspring ADHD - Molecular Psychiatry
Nature
Last updated: May 26, 2026
This study investigates the genetic predisposition to dietary patterns and their predictive value in pregnant women. It aims to replicate findings across three large cohort studies: COPSAC, the Norwegian MoBa study, and the UK's ALSPAC cohort. The research focuses on a specific dietary pattern identified through Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS).
- This research utilized data from the COPSAC cohort (700 mother-child pairs), the Norwegian MoBa study (approx. 114,500 children), and the ALSPAC cohort in Southwest England (approx. 15,000 pregnancies). Pregnant women were recruited between 1991 and 2010 across these cohorts. Ethical approval and informed consent were obtained from all participants. The study developed a polygenic risk score (PGS) for a dietary pattern, identified as the first principal component (PC1) from a GWAS of European ancestry. This PC1 represents a Western and prudent dietary pattern, with positive loadings for healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, and negative loadings for processed and high-fat items.
- The PGS for dietary pattern was constructed using different methods across the cohorts: PRS-CS for COPSAC and ALSPAC, and LDpred2 for MoBa. Associations were reported for a one standard deviation increase in the PGS, indicating a genetic predisposition to a healthier dietary pattern. The predictive value of the PGS was tested by correlating it with reported food consumption in pregnant women from COPSAC, using validated semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs). Further validation involved assessing the PGS's correlation with maternal pregnancy Western dietary patterns previously linked to offspring neurodevelopmental disorders. Dietary pattern PGSs were also validated in the MoBa and ALSPAC cohorts using their respective FFQ data, covering maternal dietary habits during pregnancy.
