BMJ Public Health. 2026 Nov 5;4(4):e004548. doi: 10.1136/bmjph-2025-004548. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The accumulation of childhood and adolescent psychosocial risks is associated with multiple health problems later in life, but the fundamental processes underlying these associations are not well understood. One such process may be accelerated biological ageing (BA). Associations between accumulated childhood and adolescent psychosocial risks and three indicators of accelerated BA with a 38-year follow-up time were examined.

METHODS: Data were obtained from the longitudinal Young Finns Study, including 1224-2042 participants aged 41-58 years in 2018 (55% female). The Klemera-Doubal method Biological Age (KDM-BA), phenotypic age (PhenoAge) and homeostatic dysregulation (HD) algorithms were used as indicators of BA. Associations between childhood and adolescent psychosocial risk and accelerated BA were analysed using linear regression analyses. Health behaviours and socioeconomic factors were tested as potential mediators of these associations using causal mediation approach.

RESULTS: A higher number of cumulative childhood and adolescent risks were associated with accelerated BA, as evaluated using KDM-BA (B=0.14, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.26), PhenoAge (B=0.24, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.37) and HD algorithms (B=0.23, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.37) in adulthood. Smoking and low income were found to partially mediate the relationships.

CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the profound and lasting impact of psychosocial risks encountered during childhood and adolescence on BA in adulthood.

PMID:43022897 | PMC:PMC13756366 | DOI:10.1136/bmjph-2025-004548