The prominent role of shared environment in the associations between C-RA and ever drinking as well as timing of first alcohol use should also be viewed in light of findings by Maes et al.29 that identified cultural transmission and genotype-environment covariance to be the major contributor to this relationship in females. In other words, cultural values regarding religious service attendance and alcohol initiation are co-transmitted via correlated genetic and environmental pathways from parents to offspring. For instance, parents who do not drink alcohol are likely to pass this genetic predisposition on to their offspring. In addition, these parents may be more likely to attend religious services and to encourage their offspring to attend, thus producing a further protective environment in which inherited protections against drinking can be manifested.
