Publications [#383158] of Terrie E. Moffitt

Journal Articles

1. Hamlat, EJ; Mayer, SE; Laraia, B; Moffitt, TE; Surachman, A; Dutcher, EG; Zhang, J; Lu, AT; Yang, TT; Mashash, M; Slavich, GM; Epel, ES (2025). Maternal childhood adversity accelerates epigenetic aging of children.. Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association, 44(5), 479-488. [doi]
   (last updated on 2025/06/16)

   Abstract:
   

   Objective

   Although early adversity is strongly related to lifelong health disparities, it is unclear how adversity might confer risk across generations. To investigate, we tested the hypothesis that mothers' childhood adversity was associated with their epigenetic aging and that of their children and examined whether associations differed for Black and White mothers.

   Method

   Dyads (N = 215) of mothers (52% White, 48% Black, Mage = 39.2, SD = 1.1) and children (N = 215, 55% female, Mage = 8.3, SD = 4.0, range 2-17) provided saliva samples to assay the Horvath clock and pace of aging calculated from the epigenome epigenetic aging measures. Linear regressions were used to estimate the associations of maternal early adversity measures with the outcomes of maternal and child Horvath clock epigenetic age, as moderated by race.

   Results

   For Black, but not White mothers, any abuse before age 13, b = 0.81, p = .007, physical abuse before age 18, b = 1.69, p = .001, and sexual abuse before age 18, b = 1.17, p = .02, were associated with significantly greater Horvath age acceleration in their children. In contrast, there was no relation between maternal childhood adversity and mothers' epigenetic aging, and no significant findings for the pace of aging calculated from the epigenome.

   Conclusions

   Maternal childhood adversity appears to have a greater effect on the epigenetic aging of the children of Black mothers. The effects of systemic racism on Black Americans may interact with maternal childhood adversity to confer additional risk for Black children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).