Articles

We used 15 years of follow up of<b> </b>854 racially and ethnically diverse birth cohort who were followed from birth to age 15. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the effects of race/ethnicity, maternal education, and family structure on poverty at birth, as well as the effects of poverty at birth on epigenetic changes at age 15. We also explored variations by sex. <b>Results: </b>Our findings indicate that Black and Latino families had lower maternal education and married family structure which in turn predicted poverty at birth. Poverty at birth then was predictive of epigenetic changes 15 years later when the index child was 15. This suggested that poverty at birth partially mediates the effects of race/ethnicity, maternal education, and family structure on epigenetic changes of youth at age 15. There was an effect of poverty status at birth on DNA methylation of male but not female youth at age 15. Thus, poverty at birth may have a more salient effect on long term epigenetic changes of male than female youth. <b>Conclusions: </b>Further studies are needed to understand the mechanisms underlying the observed sex differences in the effects of poverty as a mechanism that connects race/ethnicity, maternal education, and family structure to epigenetic changes later in life.

</b><b> </b>Epigenetic studies, which can reflect biological aging, have shown that measuring DNA methylation (DNAm) levels provides new insights into the biological effects of social environment and socioeconomic position (SEP). This study explores how race, family structure, and SEP (income to poverty ratio) at birth influence youth epigenetic aging at age 15. Data were obtained from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) cohort, with GrimAge used as a measure of DNAm levels and epigenetic aging. Our analysis included 854 racially and ethnically diverse participants followed from birth to age 15. Structural equation modeling (SEM) examined the relationships among race, SEP at birth, and epigenetic aging at age 15, controlling for sex, ethnicity, and family structure at birth. Findings indicate that race was associated with lower SEP at birth and faster epigenetic aging. Specifically, income to poverty ratio at birth partially mediated the effects of race on accelerated aging by age 15. The effect of income to poverty ratio at birth on DNAm was observed in male but not female youth at age 15. Thus, SEP partially mediated the effect of race on epigenetic aging in male but not female youth. These results suggest that income to poverty ratio at birth partially mediates the effects of race on biological aging into adolescence. These findings highlight the long-term biological impact of early-life poverty in explaining racial disparities in epigenetic aging and underscore the importance of addressing economic inequalities to mitigate these disparities. Policymakers should focus on poverty prevention in Black communities to prevent accelerated biological aging and associated health risks later in life. Interventions aimed at eliminating poverty and addressing racial inequities could have significant long-term benefits for public health. Future research should explore additional factors contributing to epigenetic aging and investigate potential interventions to slow down the aging process. Further studies are needed to understand the mechanisms underlying these associations and to identify effective strategies for mitigating the impact of SEP and racial disparities on biological aging.