Taylor Hargrove leads study on how childhood disadvantage shapes aging

Growing up in a disadvantaged community may affect health decades later, according to new research led by Taylor Hargrove, MPRC Faculty Associate.

Published in JAMA Network Open, the study followed 3,788 Black and White Americans for more than 20 years. Researchers found that people who grew up in counties with greater socioeconomic and structural disadvantage showed faster biological aging and higher levels of inflammation in their 30s and early 40s.

The study also found important racial differences. Black participants showed higher levels of biological aging and inflammation across levels of neighborhood disadvantage, while the protective effects of living in more advantaged communities were stronger for White participants.

The findings highlight how experiences during adolescence can become biologically embedded and may contribute to health disparities later in life.