A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Nature's Curriculum: Genes Linked to Educational Attainment and Adult Socioeconomic Status Across Birth Cohorts in a Nordic Welfare State
Authors: Dobewall, Henrik; Vaalavuo, Maria; Böckerman, Petri; Viinikainen, Jutta; Sirniö, Outi; Kantojärvi, Katri; Pehkonen, Jaakko; Raitakari, Olli; Lehtimäki, Terho
Publisher: Duke University Press
Publication year: 2026
Journal: Demography
Article number: 12550847
ISSN: 0070-3370
eISSN: 1533-7790
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1215/00703370-12550847
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1215/00703370-12550847
Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF
Recent research has identified genes linked to educational attainment, but their effects on subsequent socioeconomic outcomes, particularly in egalitarian Nordic welfare states, remain largely unexplored. We analyze two genetically informed Finnish datasets, encompassing longitudinal register information on earnings, employment, unemployment, occupational status, and social assistance receipt (n = 31,622). We examine the role of a polygenic score for educational attainment (EA PGS), achieved level of education, and family socioeconomic background in predicting these outcomes in adulthood. We further study cohort differences around Finland's comprehensive school reform of the 1970s that aimed to promote equality of opportunity. Our results show that in the post-reform generation, EA PGS did not significantly predict adulthood outcomes after controlling for the achieved level of education. A notable exception was for occupational status. In contrast, in the pre-reform generation, EA PGS predicted later socioeconomic outcomes beyond education, indicating relationships not fully explained by schooling. Parental income did not moderate the effect of the EA PGS. Our findings shed additional light on the mechanisms connecting genetic factors and life chances, demonstrating that institutional setting and schooling can shape the influence of genetic endowment for high educational attainment in adult socioeconomic status.
Funding information in the publication:
The study was supported by the Academy of Finland (grant 342605; MEDIG), the Flagship Programme (decision number 345547), and the OP Group Research Foundation (grant 20210046).
The Young Finns Study data collection has been financially supported by the Academy of Finland (grants 356405, 322098, 286284, 134309 (Eye), 126925, 121584, 124282, 129378 (Salve), 117797 (Gendi), and 141071 (Skidi)); the Social Insurance Institution of Finland; the Competitive State Research Financing of the Expert Responsibility area of Kuopio, Tampere, and Turku University Hospitals (grant X51001); the Juho Vainio Foundation; the Paavo Nurmi Foundation; the Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research; the Finnish Cultural Foundation; the Sigrid Juselius Foundation; the Tampere Tuberculosis Foundation; the Emil Aaltonen Foundation; the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation; the Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation; the Diabetes Research Foundation of the Finnish Diabetes Association; EU Horizon 2020 (grant 755320 for TAXINOMISIS and grant 848146 for To Aition); the European Research Council (grant
742927 for the MULTIEPIGEN project); the Tampere University Hospital Supporting Foundation; the Finnish Society of Clinical Chemistry; the Cancer Foundation Finland; pBETTER4U_EU (Preventing obesity through Biologically and bEhaviorally Tailored inTERventions for you; project number 101080117); and the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation.
