Economic disadvantage can have a lasting impact on children’s health, according to a recent study led by researchers at Imperial College London. The study, which involved over 1,000 European children, found that children from less privileged backgrounds had shorter telomeres—a biomarker for aging—in their blood cells. This biological imprint of socioeconomic status in childhood could set these children on a trajectory towards increased risk of disease and early mortality compared to their more affluent peers.
Published in the journal eBioMedicine, the study titled “Associations of family affluence with cortisol production and telomere length in European children” highlights the urgent need for public health policies to address health inequalities and support children’s development and lifelong health. Dr. Oliver Robinson, the senior author of the study, emphasized the importance of addressing these disparities early in a child’s life to prevent long-term health consequences.
Telomeres, which are protective caps at the end of chromosomes, shorten with age and are associated with aging and disease risk. The researchers measured telomere length in white blood cells of children aged 6 to 11 from six European countries. Children from higher affluence families had longer telomeres on average compared to those from lower affluence families. Additionally, girls had longer telomeres than boys, and children with higher body mass index had shorter telomeres.
The study also analyzed cortisol levels, a stress hormone, in the children’s urine samples. Children from higher affluence families had lower cortisol levels compared to those from lower affluence families. While the study couldn’t establish a direct link between cortisol levels and telomere length, it suggests that psychosocial stressors associated with economic disadvantage may contribute to biological aging in children.
The researchers acknowledge limitations in the study, such as the use of relative telomere length measurements and the narrow range of economic backgrounds studied. Future research could explore these associations in more diverse populations and consider additional factors like dietary intake. Overall, the study underscores the need for public health interventions to reduce health inequalities and support all children for better lifelong health outcomes.
This study was conducted as part of the HELIX exposome cohort, which includes longitudinal birth cohorts from various European countries. The research sheds light on the impact of socioeconomic status on children’s biological aging markers and emphasizes the importance of addressing health inequities early on to ensure all children have the best start in life.
