Psychosocial adversity and socioeconomic position during childhood and epigenetic age: analysis of two prospective cohort studies
Year: 2018
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Psychosocial adversity in childhood (e.g. abuse) and low socioeconomic position (SEP) can have significant lasting effects on social and health outcomes. DNA methylation-based biomarkers are highly correlated with chronological age; departures of methylation-predicted age from chronological age can be used to define a measure of age acceleration, which may represent a potential biological mechanism linking environmental exposures to later health outcomes. Using data from two cohorts of women Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, (ALSPAC), N = 989 and MRC National Survey of Health and Development, NSHD, N = 773), we assessed associations of SEP, psychosocial adversity in childhood (parental physical or mental illness or death, parental separation, parental absence, sub-optimal maternal bonding, sexual, emotional and physical abuse and neglect) and a cumulative score of these psychosocial adversity measures, with DNA methylation age acceleration in adulthood (measured in peripheral blood at mean chronological ages 29 and 47 in ALSPAC and buccal cells at age 53 in NSHD). Sexual abuse was strongly associated with age acceleration in ALSPAC (sexual abuse data were not available in NSHD), e.g. at the 47-year time point sexual abuse associated with a 3.41 years higher DNA methylation age (95% CI 1.53 to 5.29) after adjusting for childhood and adulthood SEP. No associations were observed between low SEP, any other psychosocial adversity measure or the cumulative psychosocial adversity score and age acceleration. DNA methylation age acceleration is associated with sexual abuse, suggesting a potential mechanism linking sexual abuse with adverse outcomes. Replication studies with larger sample sizes are warranted.
Source: Human Molecular Genetics
DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy036
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,390
Funders: National Institute on Handicapped Research, Wellcome Trust, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Department of Health and Social Care, University College London, University of Bristol, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, National Institutes of Health, Medical Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, National Institute on Aging
Awards: G1017049634, G1032447267, G1192034430, G1605161196, G1955001954, G2291477964, G235045266, Early life adversity and trajectories of cardiometabolic health, cognitive function and physical function: improving understanding of the mechanisms and potential reversibility, G2673957436, G317400622, G3233549029, G3233603352, G3345452146, INTERpreting epigenetic signatures in STudies of Early Life Adversity (InterStELA), G3825777449, G3831911591, Accessible resource for integrated epigenomics studies (ARIES), The Avon Longitudinal Study for Parents and Children: An international resource for population genomic and lifecourse epidemiology. Core programme support 2014-2019., G4907668362, G5470336846, G5562631338, G5857625837, G6119919417, G6285097384, Early life adversity and trajectories of cardiometabolic health, cognitive function and physical function: improving understanding of the mechanisms a, G6689231961, G6758997600, G738105237, G7448564355, G7828794151, Mediation analysis in life course epidemiology: methodological innovation and application to studies of obesity and cardiometabolic health, G8056893570, G824700880, G8518790725, G8782766175, G8907334132, Epigenetics: Environment, Embodiment and Equality (E4)
OpenAlex ID: W2792142529