Scope and strategies of genetic epidemiology: analysis of articles published in Genetic Epidemiology, 1984-1991.

Genetic epidemiology is a relatively new discipline that seeks to unravel the role of genetic factors and their interactions with environmental factors in the etiology of diseases, using population and family study approaches. To characterize the overall direction and emphasis of research strategies used in this field, we reviewed original research articles published in the journal Genetic Epidemiology since its inception in 1984 until the end of 1991. Of 259 published original articles, 92 (35%) focused primarily on methodologic/statistical developments, most commonly in the area of linkage analysis/gene mapping, and 167 (65%) articles were applied or data-derived. Only 42 articles (16%) were population studies, and 217 (84%) were family studies. Most family studies dealt with genetic analysis of pedigree data using segregation and linkage analyses. Of the 137 applied family studies, 73 (53%) were drawn from well-defined populations, and only 40 (29%) considered specific environmental factors in their analyses. These findings clearly indicate a rapid growth in the methodologic and statistical aspects of genetic epidemiology, and in the emphasis on family-based studies and genetic analysis methods. Further developments in genetic epidemiology will require greater integration of epidemiologic approaches of study design and analyses into population and family studies of disease etiology.