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Twin research in Hungary
Presented by:
Zsófia Drjenovszky
Rita Hegedűs
András Pári
MSZT: 11.2012.
Antecedents
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•
•
•
•
MSZT in 2011
3 aspects
Make up for the lack
Long-range
Proposals
Twin researchers in Hungary
• (Saile, Tivadar 1928; Darányi, Gyula 1941;
Malán, Milán 1962)
• Czeizel, Endre
• Métneki, Júlia
• (Bagdy, Emőke; Mérei, Ferenc)
• Tárnoki brothers
• Littvay, Levente
About our research
• Research questions:
- Is being twin an asset?
- Do demographic characteristics have an effect?
• Reasons:
- Changes in the law and the area of the progress of the medical researches
- Relevant literature in Hungary is limited
- Sociological point of view
• In the year 2012:
- Contact with the Hungarian researchers
- Finding twins and parents of twins
Collecting data by questionnaire
• Reasons for collecting data by questionnaire
• The questionnaire
• How could we reach the target group?
- twin festivals
- snowball method (internet)
- invitation
• Advantages/Disadvantages
The twins’ sample
• Questionnaires filled in at twin festivals: 81
• Questionnaires filled in at other places: 141
• Online respondents: 123 people (56,7%)
• Both member of a set of twins: 77
• One member of a set of twins: 63
• Two or three members of a triplet: 2 (in sum: 5
people)
RESULTS – The sample
(Twins’ questionnaires)(140 people)
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Identical twins /fraternal twins: 83 and 55 people
Conception: 3 people by artificial ways
Gender: 105 female/35 male respondent (75% / 25%)
Gender and type of twins: 62 identical females
21 identical males
26 fraternal females
8 fraternal males
20 fraternal, male-female twins
(of which 15 female, 5 male
respondents)
20
8
62
26
21
• Siblings: beside his/her twin, 103 respondents
have one or more siblings (74%)
• Age: 38,2 years on average
The use of ‘twinship’ – questions
and methods
Question: Is there a difference between twins in that how
deeply they feel about being a twin and in the degree and type
of the usage of being a twin? So, is ‘twinship’ an asset?
Methods:
Linear regression
Dependent variables: 7 indexes dealing with the features of
being a twin (evaluating of being a twin, extrinsic characteristics
of use, use of twins’ bonds, active and passive use of the
advantages, general use of being a twin)
Independent variable: gender, zygozity
Use of ‘twinship’ – assumptions and
The use of ‘twinship’ - results
results. 1. Gender
1.
‘Twinship’ is more important for women, they are more
involved in the theme. – Not confirmed.
2.
Women use their ‘twinship’ as an extrinsic feature more than
men. – Confirmed if we controlled for zygozity.
3.
Men rather then women use their ‘twinship’ in territories
where they have to show results, such as education. – Not
confirmed. On the contrary, it was women who do that.
4.
Women are inclined to use of their ‘twinship’ in a passive
way, while men in a more active way. – Partly confirmed.
Women use their twinship more in both an active and
passive way.
Use of ‘twinship’ – assumptions and
results. 2. Type of twins
1.
2.
‘Twinship’ is more important for identical twins, and they are
those who use the advantage of being a twin more than the
fraternal twins. – Confirmed.
There is an order in the use of the advantage of being a twin.
It is: female identical – male identical – female fraternal –
male fraternal – male/female fraternal twins. – Partly
confirmed. The real order is: female identical – male
identical – male/female fraternal – female fraternal – male
fraternal twins. So the ‘mixed’ fraternal twins are more
impressed in their ‘twinship’ then the unisexed pairs.
The parents and their twins
(PARENTS’ questionnaires)
• PARTICIPATION of 575 PARENTS (92% are mothers):
Altogether: 1150 person’s data received (= information on both parent’s
socio-demographic background)
Respondents are from:
1 Individual (personal) request for parents having twins – 48%
2 Twin research database (Special thanks for the Dr. Tárnoki’s  ) – 23%
3 Twin festivals (Szigethalom, Ágfalva, Kunhegyes) – 20%
4 Not specified – 9%
TWINS:
- Age: 1 months old – 18 years old Average age at the sample: 4 yrs 3 months
[  since 2006 in each kindergarten group we could statistically find at least one twinpair!]
- Gender: first born 51% boy, 49% girl
RESULTS – Age, marital status
(Parents’ questionnaires)
Average age at the birth of the twins:
- Mother: 31,2 years old
[National average (2010)= 29,1 yrs; Budapest= 31,7 yrs]
- Father: 33,8 years old
Marital status at the birth of the twins:
-
Since ’90s the twin births’ rate has increased among married mothers
At age 30-34 the chance of having twins are 4%; Age 35-39 is 5%
80% of the couples are married
RESULTS – The twins in family
(Parents’ questionnaires)
RESULTS – Rate of assisted reproduction
(Parents’ questionnaires)
1. Among lower educated
parents the rate of natural
conception is higher (76%)
and the rate of test-tube
babies are lower (19%)
2. Families participated in
assisted reproductional treatment have far more high
(59,5%) family income.
3. Among religious families* the
rate of test-tube baies are more less (16%);
natural conception rate is 81%!
(*religious= attend to religious service, goes to church at least
once a month)
RESULTS – Assisted reproduction and mother’s age
(Parents’ questionnaires)
RESULTS – Family income
(Parents’ questionnaires)
RESULTS – ”Twin being”
(Parents’ questionnaires)
• Almost each respondent are PROUD OF HAVING TWINS (98,8%)
BUT! Only 49,7% of the parents said that there are MORE ADVANTAGES
than disadvantages (4,2%) having twins.
(46,1% „Couldn’t decide”)
• „TWIN BEING”:
1/3 of the parents thinks that
being a twin for the children
is VERY IMPORTANT,
46% said that IMPORTANT,
but not necessary,
18% opinion is not very
important
Thank you for your attention!