Perceived Social Cohesion Moderates the Association Between Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation and Epigenetic Aging

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association between socioeconomic contexts and biological aging among U.S. older adults, and whether social cohesion buffers the impact of socioeconomic deprivation on epigenetic aging. METHODS: A pooled cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) wave 2 and Refresher projects (n = 1,111). DNA methylation-based epigenetic aging was measured using epigenetic clocks (Hannum, Horvath, Horvath Skin & Blood, PhenoAge, and GrimAge2) and the pace of aging (DunedinPACE). The 2015 Area Deprivation Index was used to assess socioeconomic deprivation. Neighborhood perceived social cohesion was determined from three components of social capital: social trust, norms of mutual assistance, and a sense of belonging. Post hoc moderation analyses were conducted to assess the buffering effects of social cohesion on the adverse impact of socioeconomic deprivation on accelerated aging. Analyses were adjusted for socioeconomic, demographic, and behavioral characteristics. RESULTS: Higher deprivation was associated with faster GrimAge2 epigenetic age acceleration (EAA; B = 0.03, SE = 0.01, Beta = 0.16, 95%CI: [0.02, 0.05]) and DunedinPACE pace of aging (B = 0.001, SE = 0.00, Beta = 0.21, 95%CI: [0.00, 0.001]. Perceived social cohesion appeared to buffer the adverse impact of socioeconomic deprivation on EAA GrimAge2 (B = -0.02, SE = 0.01, Beta = -0.09, 95%CI: [-0.03, -0.01]) and DunedinPACE (B = -0.00, SE = 0.00, Beta = -0.06, 95%CI: [-0.00, -0.00]). CONCLUSIONS: Both deprivation and cohesion were associated with epigenetic aging. Buffering effects of cohesion on the association between deprivation and epigenetic aging were evident.