Currently the samples are used to hunt for specific genetic variants between twins that might account for health-related behaviors and conditions, such as how much people eat or how much coffee they drink, says Patrik Magnusson, the registry's head of research.
Ilan Meyer, a senior scholar at UCLA's School of Law, offers an explanation for these disparities through the "Theory of Minority Stress, " which suggests that these health inequities may be rooted in discrimination, with negative healthbehaviors acting as coping mechanisms for repeated exposure to stigma-related stress.