Using a randomized prevention trial, we tested a G×E hypothesis to determine whether participation in SAAF, an efficacious prevention program for African American youth, could ameliorate a genetic vulnerability factor for increases in risk behaviors. We found that youth at genetic risk who were assigned to the control condition evinced larger increases in risk behaviors than did youth at genetic risk assigned to the SAAF condition and youth with no genetic risk assigned to either the SAAF or the control condition. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that participation in a preventive intervention can ameliorate a genetic risk for increasing involvement with health-compromising behaviors. This finding adds to results from research with twins, in which protective activities (e.g., sports involvement) helped to shield youth from genetic risk (21).
