This study examines the relationship between residential contexts and epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) among older Black and White Americans, utilizing data from the Health and Retirement Study conducted between 2010 and 2016. EAA is a biomarker associated with premature aging, and understanding its disparities can provide insights into health outcomes across different demographic groups.
The research involved a sample of 3,187 non-Hispanic Black and White older adults, with a mean age of 69, who provided venous blood samples in 2016. The authors employed multigroup structural equation modeling techniques to analyze the connections between EAA and various features of residential contexts, including racial clustering, air pollution, greenspace, household incomes, and perceived disorder.
Findings indicate that White respondents living in areas with a high concentration of other White residents exhibited lower levels of EAA compared to their peers residing in less racially homogeneous neighborhoods. Notably, higher household incomes in predominantly White areas accounted for approximately 25% of this association. In contrast, the study found minimal significant relationships between residential contexts and EAA among Black participants.
The results suggest that concentrated privilege in predominantly White neighborhoods may contribute to health and aging disparities between Black and White Americans. The authors highlight the importance of considering residential context when addressing health inequities and propose several avenues for future research to further explore these findings.
What this study does not show
This study does not establish a causal relationship between residential context and epigenetic age acceleration, nor does it provide specific interventions to mitigate these disparities.
Evidence scorecard
- Analytic validity: Established
- Clinical validity: Not established
- Clinical utility: Not established