Comparison of education and occupation of adults with achondroplasia with same-sex sibs.

We compared the education and occupation of 20 adults with achondroplasia with their same-sex sibs. While the mean number of years of formal education reported by affected males and females was comparable to that of their same-sex sib, we found differences in the level of occupation between the groups. In general, affected females had a significantly lower occupational level compared to their unaffected sisters. In males and females the number of years of formal education and whether or not individuals had achondroplasia were the 2 most important factors determining occupational level when contrasting affected persons with their unaffected sibs. Education alone accounted for 28 and 42% of the observed variance in occupational level, respectively, for females and males.