How does life course exposure to contextual disadvantage accelerate biological aging? The role of psychological symptoms.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Recent research has found that life course exposure to contextual socioeconomic disadvantage may accelerate biological aging, providing key insight into an upstream driver of health disparities. However, questions about the intervening mechanisms remain. We examine the role of psychological symptoms in the direct and indirect relationships between cumulative neighborhood disadvantage and accelerated biological aging.

Methods

We leverage the Researching Epigenetic, Weathering, Aging, & Neighborhood Disadvantage (REWARD) Study, a subsample of the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW) (2008-2019) that includes an assessment of cumulative neighborhood disadvantage based on long-term residential histories and three blood-based epigenetic clocks (i.e., GrimAge, Pheno

SUBMITTER: Kamis C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12584352 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature